Killer Company
by eeniemeanie
Summary: Mahad & Dahlia's fate is uncertain as the pirates struggle to free them in time.When the company which held Sasha prisoner tracks her family down,Will Maria be able to defeat the leader of a company which even Oslo has no authority over?MaD & other ships
1. PS i love you

**A/N Hey everyone! sequel time (finally), enjoy. If you haven't read the first story, Double Agent, then this will make no sense to you. At all. I highly recommend reading the first story first. It would make sense to, lets be honest...**

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><p><strong>Chapter One: PS I love you<strong>

_**All the heartbreak all the pain,**_

_**All the words you said in vain,**_

_**And i'll never be the same...**_

_**I wish i could drive away to the sunset **_

_**back to the day that we first met,**_

_**only believe the things i wrote,**_

_**i'll put it in a note, yeah**_

_**Cross my T's and dot my I's**_

_**Better say hello, i'm gonna wave goodbye**_

_**I'll write sincerely yours and sign my name,**_

_**P.S i love you...Forever and today.**_

**( All American Rejects - PS I love you )**

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><p>Licking her cracked, dust covered lips, she spluttered and coughed as she tried to keep the bile rising in her throat down. Darkness pressed in all around her, filling her sight with an impassive and slightly eery blankness. There was a great weight on top of her, weighing down her chest so that she struggled to breathe. Dahlia removed her hands from their position curled protectively over her head. When the roof had caved in, she'd let go of Mahad to protect herself from the falling debris. Squinting through the darkness, she saw nothing. Tentatively reaching out in front of her, she confirmed her suspicions.<p>

The weight on top of her was Mahad. A little part of her was relieved, but she wouldn't allow herself to relax until she'd checked his injuries. She stroked her fingers along the sinews on his neck, the muscles of his shoulders. Stroking down one of his arms, she frowned at the irregular shape and pressed lightly. A soft muffled whimper emitted from where his head lay upon her chest. Probably broken then, she deduced.

"Mahad?" Her voice rattled and gasped like she'd swallowed nails. All she received was a vague groan to indicate he could hear her. Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she comforted herself by stroking awkward, shaking fingers through Mahad's hair, trying to untangle the grimy spikes it had fallen into. Her hand glid through a treacly thick liquid dried onto his scalp. She leant her head down towards him as far as she could in their cramped conditions under the fallen roof. Breathing deeply to steady herself, she gagged at the tangy iron smell of blood.

She inspected their surroundings with a growing sense of urgency. God knows how long the section above them would hold. Currently the two of them were wedged between the wall and a fallen roof beam which was the only thing keeping the crushing weight of the rest of the fallen roof off of them. Her leg was still trapped somwhere beneath another beam, her body was trapped beneath Mahad and Mahad was in worse shape than she was, possibly even bleeding to death. Panicking slightly, she cleared her throat to scream for help.

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><p>Cortes glared at Maria. Maria glared back. As soon as she'd landed on the block, he'd come straight over and stood over her, waiting for her explanation in mutinous silence. Finally, after a brief stand off, he broke the silence.<p>

"You were going to kill us on Ningxia."

"To save my family? Yes." He nodded curtly at her reply, having expected as much.

"We have people trapped. So move your arse over there and start helping with shifting this crap, i'll talk to you later." He left without another word, jogging over to a set of men who were tying a rope around a beam to lift it.

Maria looked over at the group and hesitated, seeing Wayan working amongst them.

_They'll never get down to Dahlia and Mahad in time. They'd have to unblock all of the stairway down and then everything else in their way. Better that i try and do this alone...Yeah, no need to go over there where Wayan and the others are. No, better on my own._

She closed her eyes and tried to visualize the layout of her home beneath the ground. The staircase would come out around _Here, _so the kitchen was underneath...here. She stopped walking and smiled, confident that this was the place. If she could do some of her ghostly freakiness and phase downwards, she could grab them and bring them back up with her no problem. Grinning at how easy this would be, she sank slowly into the ground.

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><p>"HELLOOOOO? CORTES? WAYAN! ANYONE? EVEN SHANNON WOULD DO!" Dahlia's voice cracked as she screamed at the top of her voice, conscious of Mahad's pulse slowing beneath her finger.<p>

"Dah.." Mahad's attempt to say her name faded into a groan. Her head snapped around and she twisted his face towards her. In the little light they had, she could see his eyes' dim sparkle. She kissed him and tasted blood, recoiling in horror at how badly hurt he was. His fingers twisted and he moaned.

"Think m'arms broke."

"Shhhh, don't try to speak, save your energy." He nodded slightly.

"Talk to me then. Anythin', just take my mind...off things."

"I saw you with Shannon today. Kissing her." he was quiet as she continued, determined to tell him this incase...well, incase something bad happened to one of them."I was so angry. I don't think i've ever felt like that. Like i could just kill her with a thought, throw all that rage at her and watch her wither and die. The way you put your arms around her. It was like being a ghost who'd come back to life and found that everyone they loved had moved on, didn't need them anymore. Like I meant nothing to you."

She took a deep breath, willing herself to say the words.

"It hurt because you mean everything to me Mahad." She chuckled, tears spilling from her eyes and washing her cheeks clean. "You know, i've never even let myself think that. The life we live, people die too much and when you get attatched to someone its a sure path to heartbreak. But seeing you with Shannon and i don't feel heartbreak. I feel hurt and angry, but i love you still. I love you Mahad. So much."

She looked down. Mahad's eyes were closed and too late she realised her fingers couldn't feel his pulse still. Opening her mouth wide she ripped loose a terrible scream from deep within her, not caring if she used up her oxygen supply down here. Mahad was dead or dying. What did she care if she followed him?

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><p>Above her, Maria sped up, reaching a hand forward to grab in the direction of the terrible noise. It sounded like someones soul had torn, like theiy being had shattered. It was a mad sound, splattered with pain and need and despair. Praying she hadn't been two late, she reached where Dahlia cradled Mahad in her lap, kissing his face and whimpering quietly. It was obscene and shocking to see the young woman like this. Usually so in control, Dahlia was a mess of raw emotion that she'd clearly been suppressing for some time now. Gently, Unnoticed by Dahlia, she touched her fingers lightly to Mahad's wrist, feeling nothing for a few seconds before a feathery bump pressed against her fingers.<p>

"Dahlia, DAHLIA!" The blonde looked at her with emptily defiant eyes. "He's not dead yet. Let me take him up, the vector and the other doctors will help him." She pulled slightly at Mahad and Dahlia tightened her grip. "Honey, you gotta let him go. Just for a few minutes, you understand? Then i'll be back for you and you can take care of him. But he needs to go now Dahlia." Maria's words took effect and Dahlia kissed the side of Mahad's head one more time before letting go of him. Maria disappeared upwards, taking Mahad with her.

Something shifted. In the blue-ish light of Maria disappearing upwards, Dahlia saw her surroundings completely clearly. Mahad had been propping up the beam. He'd thrown himself on her to stop it from falling onto her. Now, without its support, the beam slid downwards straight onto her. She scrambled backwards but the closeness wouldn't let her move entirely out of the way. The beams slid down and to the side, crushing her ribcage and pressing her to the wall. For a shocked second, she felt every ounce of pain before her body blacked out gratefully.

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><p><strong>AN well, that's all for chapter one so far. I'm so sorry i haven't uploaded this sequel yet, i've just been so busy with exams and school. This is going to stay at T for the moment, but be warned, it may well turn into an M later. I'm also toying with the idea of doing an exclusive one shot of that night Dahlia and Mahad spent together. It will of course, be an M due to sexy times. I don't know though. No idea how people will react to it since there's only two M rated stories in this section, plus it would be the first lemon i've written. Anyway, read, Review and let me know if you've got any ideas. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own skyland *holds in a sob*, however, i do own Maria, Sasha, Shannon and a few other OC's. Please don't use them without my permission.**


	2. Miracle

**A/N Well, thankyou to Aussie Shelia, U****gotit and spicemeisje for my first three reviews, i'm very grateful to you guys just for dropping a little not to tell me what you think. The M chapter of Dahlia's and Mahad's first night together will be happening and will be published in one shot form probably sometime around may/june? It depends on how pushed for time i am, since i've got my exams coming up. Anyway, enough from me, here's the next chapter...**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Miracle<strong>

_**I'm not going, 'cause i've been waiting for a miracle,**_

_**and i'm not leaving.**_

_**I won't let you, let you give up on a miracle**_

_**when it might save you...**_

**(Paramore - Miracle)**

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><p>Maria erupted out of the ground, shoving Mahad into Cortes' suprised grasp. Wordlessly, she went back down to get Dahlia, praying that the sliding she'd felt as she left wasn't the roof falling further. As usual, her prayers weren't answered. Dahlia was unconscious, eyelids rippling as her eyes rolled backwards. The roof's main beam was crushing into her chest, trickles of blood seeping around the edges. Maria groaned. The pressure from the beam may well be all that was holding Dahlia's innards inside her body. If the beam had split her chest open, removing her from where she lay could mean that everything the beam was holding in would suddenly be spilling out. She tore at her lip with her teeth in frustration, knowing that she had to move Dahlia but also that if she tried to move her, she might do more damage than good. After a minutes internal debate, she decided to move her.<p>

Hooking her arms under Dahlia's armpits and around the smaller woman's back, she strained upwards, blocking out Dahlia's scream as the flew up into the outdoors.

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><p>Blood. There was blood everywhere. In her hair, pouring out of her stomach. Lena caught a brief glimpse of intestine from where she stood in the semi circle around Dahlia and ran off to be sick. Cheng stood at her side, holding her hair back for her as she held back bile and cried for the woman she'd hoped would be her sister one day. The sassy, strong woman who lay in pieces just around the corner.<p>

"The vector will sort her, Lena it'll be okay, don't cry-"

"HER GUTS ARE POURING OUT CHENG!" She whirled on the little boy, shrieking through clenched jaws. "She's Dead. You hear me? Dahlia is _dead _" she sobbed the last word, curling her arms around her head to block out the world, only vaguely aware of cheng's arms wrapping around her and the fact that he was now taller than her; when had that happened?

After a few moments of pitifully sobbing into his shoulder, she finally regained her composure. Thankfully, Cheng didn't seem to mind how ruined his shirt now was. They walked together to where the other pirates were boarding the ship, Mila walking beside Mahad's stretcher, occasionally jogging on a little to check on Dahlia. Once everyone was aboard, the pirates left the unlucky block as quickly as possible, speeding home as fast as possible. The St Nazaire had only the most basic medical bay; it wasn't equipped to deal with the injuries Dahlia had sustained.

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><p>The vector snapped his fingers impatiently and Wayan offered him some fresh bandages. Cortes quickly removed his hands so that the vector could wrap Dahlia's ruined stomach area. Blood immediately began to gush quickly as soon as Cortes removed pressure. He knew he chould be up on the bridge seeing that everything ran smoothly, but he couldn't drag himself away from the young woman who lay before him. He loved her like the good friend she was, almost like a daughter to him. The team up on the bridge could deal with flying the ship on their own for now without him babysitting them. Until Dahlia was stable, he was going nowhere.<p>

The Bandages were done and the vector sat back. Dahlia's eyes were open and she was blinking at her surroundings, wincing when the Vector shone a bright light in her eyes. The old man nodded to himself and began tidying up absent-mindedly, making it clear in his body language that Cortes was no longer required. Scowling, the Pirate captain and his right hand man left the room. Wayan was uncharacteristicly quiet, seeming lost in his own thoughts. Cortes decided to let his exasperation be known by sighing long and loud.

"Well, spit it out. What's bothering you now?"

Wayan flinched and turned his eyes away, suddenly finding the wall very interesting. " Nothin' sir, just you know..." He sighed when Cortes refused to supply the name he couldn't bring himself to say. "Maria, sir." Cortes shrugged

"What about the girl? Turns out she was telling the truth about the block i guess. She was right about them needing help Wayan, so what's wrong?" One of the captain's ginger eyebrows raised inquisitively. Wayan shrugged and turned away.

"I don't know sir. She has a lot of stuff going on in her life that i don't know about-"

"Everyone has secrets Wayan and everyone has a past, no matter how hard they try to run from them."

"Since when do you like her so much? Earlier you were all for branding her a traitor" Wayan snapped

"SINCE TWO OF MY YOUNGEST CREW MEMBERS LAY DYING UNDERGROUND AND SHE SAVED THEM!" Cortes drew a deep breath, before continuing as calmly as he could manage, albeit through gritted teeth, " Mahad and Dahlia would be trapped under there, dead by now if she hadn't found them. Dahlia is still likely to die and Mahad will be heartbroken. Oh, i know they both deny having feelings for each other but give me at least the credit that i know my own damn crew! They are in love and everyone except them knows it! Pretty soon, there's a high chance of the woman Mahad loves dying, yet you're standing here whingeing because the woman you like has the nerve to have a past like EVERYONE ELSE DOES!"

Cortes stormed off, done with this conversation. Wayan hesitated before following his captain, severely chastised by what Cortes had just ranted at him. Because inside, he knew that Cortes was right. Everyone had something in the past they weren't proud of.

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><p>Pain. Ouch. It hurt so bad. His head was in two halves. Or it felt like it. He was on his back now. Soft bed. Laying on Dahlia had been softer-<p>

DAHLIA.

Mahad sat up, his head swirling not only with thoughts but nausea as his surroundings blurred around him, hidden by bright spots of light that obscured his vision. Gradually, as he sat there his eyes adjusted to the bright surroundings. He was in the infirmary, the little one on the ship. A curtain surrounded his bed, so presumably there was someone else on the other side of the curtain, in the other bed. Must be Dahlia. He went to reach his arm down to push himself off the bed and scowled when he realised it was in a splint. He was also Topless. Wonderful. Levering himself off the bed gently, he gradually put his full weight onto his feet and felt his ankle protest violently. Looked like there was something wrong with his ankle too. Moving along, using bits of furniture to suppost himself when possible, He grabbed at the curtain, letting go of his support.

For a moment he swayed like a tree in the breeze before losing his strength and balance. The floor greeted him with a painful smack, thankfully on the arm that wasn't broken. The curtain swished and suddenly the Vector was staring down at him disapprovingly before the man sighed and helped him up.

"I suppose you're looking for Dahlia? She's just through here, but...a word of advice boy, its not quite as bad as it looks, there's a chance she'll make a full recovery..."

Only a chance? Oh god, what had happened to her after he blacked out? He could only remember her saying something important, something nice. Something that made him smile before he fell asleep in that horrible, underground place. He couldn't remember and that irritated him, the memory itching his skull, telling him that he had forgotten something important. Later, he'd think about it later...

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><p>There were people around her, the Vector and Cortes. Wayan's voice was nearby. She heard him and Cortes shouting outside her room, but heard the voices and none of the words. The pain cocooned her in thick layers, drowning out their words. She didn't care about anything anymore. Even death would be better than this pain that englufed her.<p>

And then he was there, Mahad. His face near hers, crying. Stroking her hand softly, whispering to her. Her lips twitched into a half smile. Mahad was alive! He was alive! Her spirit wriggled in happiness within her as her mouth opened, trying to let him know that she loved him. Her thoughts cleared slowly, noting that he was topless and that deep beneath the pain she liked that. A lot.

"Mu...ha..." Her throat was rasping painfully and she cleared her throat to try again, but he pressed his lips to hers before she could speak. His kiss was simple, but his expression was not. Worry was present on every line of his face, concern and...was it love that also radiated from him? She sighed inwardly, remembering her confession to him. Knowing she'd meant every word. Wishing that he would return her feelings, or just simply told her that he didn't hate her for loving him. He wasn't looking at her still, he was talking to the Vector now, but she still watched him, drinking in his features like someone dying of thirst. If she died today, she wanted to get a good last look at Mahad first.

"Is it alright if i can be alone with her?"

"Okay, but only ten minutes and if something happens, you holler for me as loud as you can, i'll be next door"

Dahlia felt the breeze as the door opened, then shut behind the Vector. Mahad turned back to her, moving closer and boldly moving his hand from her hand and instead stroking the side of her face, trailing his fingers across her face.

"We need to talk" he murmured and her heart skipped a beat then sped up into a thunderous tango beat in her ear. Was he going to ask about her confession? Would he be mad?

"I need to know...Why did you get so angry with me this morning? Why were you shouting at shannon? And...what did you say to me before i blacked out. It was something important, something nice...but i don't remember what you said" His frown was adorable and both relieved and saddened her. So he didn't remember. But he remembered that it made him happy, so that was something, wasn't it? He liked the idea of her loving him. At least, he had when he was on the brink of death. She moistened her lips and spoke quietly and slowly.

"I saw you...with shannon. You kissed her. Then you hugged her too." She tried to keep the accusation out of her tone but failed, growing angry when she saw Mahad blush and look away.

"You saw that?" He muttered, scratching the back of his head without looking at her and suddenly she was murderously angry.

"Oh, i saw you with your little slut alright. Having a whale of a time by the look of it-"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Yeah, right Mahad. Next thing you'll be telling me it was an accident"

"_SHE_ KISSED _ME_!" Mahad snarled, withdrawing his hand from her cheek. "She was upset because she had a letter from home saying her mum or someone was dead, so she kissed me" Dahlia stared, surprised.

"I'm...I'm really So-"

"Sorry? Yeah, well i'm sorry too for thinking we shared something special after last night. My mistake." He stood and drew the curtain aside, swirling it shut behind him. She winced.

"Mahad? MAHAD? Come on..." She sighed and swallowed her pride. "I'm sorry for assuming you kissed her. I just got jealous, alright? What would you do if you suddenly walked into a situation where i was kissing Wayan? Or even Cortes?" She shuddered at the thought. Mahad made no reply, so she started to move herself, pushing through the pain she encountered. Sitting on the edge of her bed for a moment, getting her breath back, she eyed the floor suspiciously. She didn't know if she could stand, but she had to go into mahad's section, make him listen to her. Even if that meant she had to beat him over the head or apologise a thousand times, he would listen. He had to listen. If he didn't, she would lose him and that wouldn't, couldn't happen.

Taking a deep breath, she slid off the bed and prayed that her feet would support her.

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><p>Mahad thumped his head against his pillow, knowing that he was being unreasonable. When she put it like that, he could see how she'd jumped to the conclusion that he had cheated...even though him and Dahlia weren't technically boyfriend and girlfriend. They'd slept together though, so it was complicated. He liked her, he would even say that he loved her, but only to himself. Anyone else would laugh at him and say he was too young to be in love. He wanted a relationship with her and she hadn't technically done anything wrong. Okay, so she'd screamed at Shannon but she'd had a reason to...or had thought that she had a reason to. Either way, he should go and talk to her because no matter what she said or did, he would always forgive her. He couldn't not forgive her when he loved her like this. He was going soft.<p>

Swinging his legs over the bedside, he stood and twitched aside the curtain between their beds, an apology forming on his lips. Words died as he saw Dahlia collapsed on the floor, groaning weakly. At her side in an instant, he went to pick her up, realised he had only one hand and cursed, dragging her up onto the bed as best he could. Her bandages had broken and the blood was spilling through again.

"Why the hell did you get out of bed you silly girl?" He spoke swiftly, alarmed that she had taken such chances when she was already so sick.

"Had to see you...Make you listen to me." She was crying and he couldn't bare it. Knowing that he had to call the Vector in but wanting to seize a few more precious seconds with her, he turned her cheek so that she looked straight at him

"I will always forgive you Dahlia, for anything." He pressed lips to her forehead quickly, yelling for the vector before he blanced back and on the spur of the moment leant down so his mouth brushed her ear.

"I love you Dahlia. Don't you dare go dying on me"


	3. How to Save a Life

**A/N New chapter, new chapter :D so excited! I've also changed the format around a little; now at the beginning of each chapter i'll be putting the lyrics from a song which helped to inspire the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: How to Save a Life<strong>

_**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
>Somewhere along in the bitterness<br>And I would have stayed up with you all night  
>Had I known how to save a life<br>**_

**(The Fray - How to Save a Life)**

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><p>Mahad watched Dahlia's breath fog the oxygen mask strapped over her face, the cord pulling her blonde hair tight around her face. He curled a finger in her hair, smiling at its surprisingly soft texture and remembered how it had smelt of coconut when she had slept on his chest. He couldn't believe it had happened only the night before. So much had happened since then...seeing her lying here like this, wrapped in a thick red blanket and bandages made him cast his mind back to the previous night.<p>

***Flashback***

The moonlight slipped through the gap in his curtains, lighting up the smooth contours of Dahlia's back and the area between her shoulderblades. He rolled his thumb over her skin, smirking in a satisfied way when she sighed happily in her sleep. Using the very tips of his fingers, he traced over the smooth line of her spine and along the edges of her shoulderblades, relishing how soft and yet strong she felt. Perfect skin contrasted with her lean, slightly muscled features from her demanding work as one of the pirates. There was a glint of light in the corner of his vision and he looked down to see her eyes gazing back at him. A small, half asleep smile graced her features before she nuzzled closer to him and went back to sleep.

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><p>Outside the door, a heated discussion was taking place, unbeknownst to Mahad. The adults muttered in snarling undertones, neither wanting to back down from the arguement.<p>

"He needs to come home right now! Look at him Cortes, he looks like the walking dead, he hasn't slept since last night and he's had a major accident. I-"

"Let him alone Mila, the boy is old enough to take care of himself and-"

"Mila has a point Cortes, we all love Dahlia, but him camping out at her bedside won't help anything-"

"And what if she dies while he's tucked up in bed? Hmm Maria? Have you thought of THAT?"

"Nobody is dying anytime soon. He is not in any immediate danger, so i suggest you let the boy make his own damn decisions" The vector cut across all three of them, his lips pursed and his arms folded disapprovingly in a rare show of authority.

Wayan detatched himself from his position leaning against the wall, placing a hand on Cortes' shoulder to try and cool his temper down. Maria's eyes narrowed and without another word, she stalked away. Mila huffed and took a seat near the door, glaring down her nose at the vector for having the audacity to tell her what was best for her son. Even though inwrdly she knew he was right.

Nodding to Cortes, Wayan set off after Maria before she could outdistance him with her crazy powers. He was just about ready to talk to her now. There hadn't been time on the journey back to Puerto Angel; Dahlia had gotten worse and there was a frenzy of people rushing to the deck to coax some extra speed out of their old ship. She was safe for now at least; she now could receive the treatment she needed. Once the Vector had figured out what needed fixing.

Maria was sitting in the twilight with her back to him, leaning back on her hands as she gazed at the sky. He cleared his throat but she ignored him, so he sat down next to her.

"We need to talk." He stated bluntly, not looking at her in an attempt to keep his thoughts clear. He felt her sit up properly so that their arms brushed together pleasantly.

"I know" her voice was strained, unnatural sounding. Giving into his curiosity, he looked at her face and was surprised when he saw that she was crying silent glistening tears. She sobbed softly, looking away from him. Bewildered, he slid an arm around her as she responded by turning her face into his shoulder, hiccupping pitifully as she wept.

"'m so sorry Wayan. Lied to you...you hate me now...sided with cortes...so ssstupid...Sasha's alive...sphere...Oslo has her...My fault Dahlia's sick" She fell silent, her body shaking as he chuckled.

"Well, from what i understood of that, you've got it all wrong." His hands stroked her hair clumsily as he continued bravely. "I know you lied, but i know why you lied too. I can understand how you would want to protect your family in any way possible. Back then you didn't know any of us, so of course you'd put your family's lives before a bunch of strangers' lives. I supported Cortes because i think he's right; if something happened to Dahlia and Mahad wasn't there, the kid would tear himself apart. I know i would want to stick around if you were the one that was injured. I mean-" he fumbled for words as she looked up at him from where her head lay on his shoulder. She was close enough for him to see all the glistening drops of moisture on her eyelashes, see her lick her pinkish red lips nervously.

_Moment of truth Wayan, better tell her you like her or you'll lose your chance. _He shrugged it off dismissively "Guess you've grown on me since we met. When you've not been doing some freaky stuff with your powers, you're almost a nice person." She snorted and winked. _Why didn't i just tell her?_

"Well Wayan, i do believe that was ALMOST a compliment there. But thanks. Means a lot that someone here doesn't hate me." Pecking him on the cheek, she paused for a second before stuffing her hands in her pockets and standing up. He followed suit quickly, pretending not to notice that she was blushing.

"So ahem...I'll see you tomorrow?" She chewed her lip as he just nodded slightly. Turning, she made an effort to walk away instead of running away in embarassment but his voice stopped her.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your house? I mean, its dark out and..." He trailed off, cursing the fact that the crime rate in Puerto Angel was practically zero. There were only 100 or so people here. She wasn't going to get attacked. Plus, she could easily fight off an entire group of men, hopefully she'd never have to of course, but-

"Sure," She smiled at him, "But you're forgetting i don't actually live here officially. Temporary bunks on the ship, remember? I'm a refugee, nothing but the clothes on my back" She laughed half heartedly and a stupid idea flashed into his brain. He ignored it at first, but as they walked together in silence he finally gave into it's incessant nagging.

"You know...I have a spare bedroom at my place." She raised her eyebrow at him. He groaned, knowing how his suggestion might have sounded to her. "I mean, i'm not propositioning you, it's not like i want to sleep with you - not that you're not attractive! Because you are, you have nice umm hair and eyes and stuff."

God he was getting worse; He sounded like an idiot. Time to just finish up this conversation before he completely made a complete fool of himself. Shrugging as nonchalantly as he could, he continued "I just thought you might prefer it to bunking on the ship, because on the ship you have to share your space with everyone else, its a communal dorm and i thought you'd like your own space and to not have to share the showers with ten other people...I mean at my place you'd have to share the shower with me...not at the same time! I mean like we'd take it in turns and i know women like to have long showers and baths and stuff. You wouldn't get that at the ship, they don't have good facilities and i have some of my sister's shampoo left from when she used to visit-"

Thankfully, Maria chose this moment to cut in on his mindless babbling. "You have a sister?" He nodded gratefully at the subject change.

"Yeah, she lives on one of the sphere blocks. She used to visit, but in the past few years they've tightened up security patrols and she wouldn't be able to sneak over here. Her names Tia, she's my twin." His lips twisted wryly. Maria nodded, knowing from his tone of voice that he was upset over the loss of contact with his sister. Who wouldn't be?

She sighed and stopped walking. "So. Which way is your house?" Wayan blinked and she rolled her eyes in amusement. "You said i could sleep in your spare room, so where's your house?"

The childish grin that crossed his face lightened her heart considerably, just as his embarassed babbling had. It really was quite cute how he messed up his words, even if in truth she wouldn't mind him propositioning her, or sharing a shower with him. Still, she thought, linking her arm through his, it would be great to spend more time with him, even if he had no romantic interest in her.

"You had me at long, warm shower" She grinned up at him and he returned the smile gratefully.

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><p>Back inside the hospital, Mahad watched Dahlia's breathing like someone who'd been hypnotised. In and out, her chest rising ever so slightly as he searched for some sign of her waking up. The slightest fluttering of her eyelashes made him sit up straight, then slump with disappointment when she did not awake. The vector watched him sadly through the glass pane in the door, not wanting to enter and deliver the bad news. But he had a soft cough, he opened the door and announced his presence to the devastated boy, who looked at him with hope.<p>

"I have her test results." Mahad just nodded silently, waving a hand to indicate that the vector should continue. "Well, the impact from the beam crushed parts of her ribcage. The ribs will repair in time, but there was internal damage to some of her organs" Mahad's eyes were shining and his voice hoarse as he replied.

"What's damaged? Will she...will she be alright?" The vector nodded as encouragingly as possible, trying to perk the boy up.

"She won't die, if that's your question. But...well, her heart and lungs are fine, they were above the beam's impact, her liver was slightly damaged but livers repair themselves...its her kidneys that we're worried about. Her left kidney was damaged irreparably in the accident, it seems that her left side bore the brunt of the damage." Mahad frowned, interrupting him.

"But we have two kidneys, right? So it doesn't matter if her left one doesnt work."

"Yessss, normally that would be the case. But unfortunately, the right kidney has also sustained some damage. Minor damage, considering the force of the accident. Dahlia was very lucky. Anyhow, it's not working at the optimum level currently, but that may change as she recovers. It could either get better or deteriorate." Mahad paled.

"So...she might die?"

"No, no. There are treatments for kidney failure - dialysis or transplant. Mahad, we don't even know that she will deteriorate, she may make a full recovery." The vector smiled reassuringly, then winced slightly. "If it did come to it however, she would have to use dialysis i'm afraid. She'd have to have two to three weekly sessions in which she'd be hooked up to a machine which would pump the blood out of her body, cleanse it and then return it into her body. The sessions are quite long, normally several hours at a time and she'd have to keep to a strict diet, but otherwise she could lead a normal life."

"Why can't she have a transplant?" Mahad felt sick at the thought of his Dahlia attatched to some machine, on a permanent diet for the rest of her life, only kept alive by a few wires and a fancy contraption. She'd hate it, he knew she would. She wasn't one of those skinny girl who only ate salad or ate a regulated diet. She gorged on chocolate sometimes, she loved cake and high fat things like steak. She would hate the change. And he would hate her having to change.

"There is only one viable kidney donor on the block and i've already asked them if they would be willing to donate if she deteriorates. They have refused."

"WHO IS IT?" MAhad snarled, standing up suddenly. The chair clattered to the floor unnoticed. "Why did they say no? Why are they the only person that can donate? Why can't we make them donate? They have two kidneys right? They're healthy, they don't even need their other one" The vector stood back and Mahad calmed down, realising how loud he'd shouted. "Sorry." he muttered, picking up his chair.

"Quite alright, Mahad. To answer your questions, you cannot donate because you aren't a close enough tissue match. Plus, you are a lot larger than Dahlia - Your kidney would be too different a size from hers, it would be incompatible. We keep a person's tissue and blood type on their hospital record, so I looked through the records and found the closest match for Dahlia. In fact, this person is the only match for Dahlia; nobody else is a close enough match. I cannot tell you who this person is due to confidentiality reasons. As to why they said no, they weren't actually on the donor list, i only rang her up on the off chance that she might be willing to donate. This was sudden for her and i'm sure she refused for a good reason-"

"So this person's female? God, if i ever find out who it is that turned helping Dahlia down-"

"Mahad, donating a part of one's body is a serious decision. What if that person donated their second kidney and then their first kidney failed?"

Mahad scowled and shook his head. No excuse was good enough for him. If Dahlia got worse and had to be hooked up to a machine two or three times a week, have her blood washed...No. There was no excuse for someone allowing that.

* * *

><p>Shannon slid into bed, pondering over her recent phone call with the vector. So someone needed her kidney huh? Well tough. She was rather attatched to all of her body parts, even the bits she didnt necessarily need. Besides, he'd said whoever it was that needed it (apparently he couldn't tell her for confidentiality reasons) might make a full recovery anyway. So why sign up to something when she probably wouldn't be needed anyway. She was curious about who it could be though. Nevermind, she'd find out in the morning. This was a relatively small block, so it'd be easy to find out who it was that had been injured. The crew had been out on a mission today, so it was one of them. A thought occured and she laughed viciously.<p>

If it was Dahlia, then she was doubly glad that she had said no to donating her kidney. If she died because of kidney failure, Mahad would be very upset. In need of comfort in fact. She'd be very willing to provide that comfort...

* * *

><p><strong>AN Wow, that shannon really is a bitch isn't she? RnR, i love hearing from you guys**


	4. Tranquilize

**Chapter Four: Tranquilize**

_**I've got this feeling that they're gonna break down the door**_

_**I've got this feeling that they're gonna come back for more**_

_**See i was thinking that i lost my mind**_

_**But it's been getting to me all this time**_

_**And it don't stop dragging me down.**_

**(The Killers ft. Lou Reed - Tranquilize)**

* * *

><p>Sasha eyed the newcomer with suspicious anticipation. He was of medium height, but easily taller than her if she was barefoot. Chestnut hair framed his face in straight, unruly lines and his suit was obviously expensive yet worn with casual ease. He wore no tie and slouched as he left his ship and walked across the grass towards the gardens surrounding the house. She knew his type well. Businessman from one of the inner sphere blocks. Wealthy, but not self made wealth. The suits he wore cost more than the average yearly income of a small family and he wore them like they meant nothing at all to him. If he'd been born to a poor family and worked his way up, he wouldn't have that certain self-confident, casual attitude that only the children of rich families had. The kind of "I can wear these clothes anyway i like and still look attractive to girls 'cause i'm so rich they won't care what i look like" kind of attitude that this stranger was wearing in every expression his face made. Oh yes. She knew his type. They thought their chequebook could lift any barrier, open any door - or any girl's legs of course. She despised Golddiggers. It was just so tacky to go after a man for his money.<p>

As he stepped through the archway of roses, he smiled dazzlingly at her. _I wonder whether he's going to ask me to address him by a nickname as well? Ask me to address him as just 'Justin' instead of by his surname, or whatever his name is._

He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on her admittedly quite revealing dress "Hello, you must be the commander's secretary." He grinned charmingly.

_What a stupid little conceited... _Sasha stemmed the flow of insults which occured within her mind. He had concluded, simply from what she was wearing that she was a lowly secretary. Oh of course she couldn't be someone high up, because its well known that guardians don't wear ANYTHING but their uniforms. What planet was he from? Did it not occur to him that nobody wears their work clothes in their free time? She simmered quietly inside, but placed a bright smile on her face, knowing she had to appear welcoming if he was someone important. Oslo was already suspicious of her since Maria's breakout. He hadn't said anything and she'd acted totally innocently, since that was all she could do. Heck, she wasn't even supposed to know that Maria had been there.

"No, I'm not his secretary, but can i help you?" She kept her tone sugary sweet and helpful as hell, despising him. She didn't know why, but there was just something about him which made her edgy. Probably just how obnoxious and stuck up he was. Not that he'd been particularly stuck up yet, but she was sure that he would be if she got to know him.

"Erm, yeah if you don't mind. I just need to know the way to his office-"

"Oh okay. You have an appointment i presume?"

"Not...exactly, no." The man smirked and stuck his hands in his pockets.

Sasha cheered inwardly. The idiot had arrived without an appointment. The commander was going to go absolutely nuts on the guy. Serves him right for being so arrogant as to think that he could just turn up uninvited and expect Oslo to make time for him. Oh, she was looking forward to this. Silly little rich kid, thinking that just because she wore flattering dresses that she wasn't a serious person, that she couldn't be high up in the chain of command. Oh, this was going to be priceless...

They reached the room joining onto Oslo's Office, where he dealt with the paperwork and held scheduled meetings. When he wasn't in the command centre, he was always here. Even in his free time, probably. The man never relaxed. Still, that was his problem, not hers. She didn't know how he spent his freetime and she didn't care to find out, especially since she found out about him lying about Maria being safe. When she found out about that, he lost the last scrap of sympathy she had ever felt for him. It didn't quite make sense though, him getting Maria to try and blow up Ningxia when he'd been quite content to leave the block alone for months. Why was Maria even caught in the first place? Or rather, how?

"Wait here please, I'll see if Oslo is ready to see you Mr...?"

"Cameron Vitagliano." He winked "But a pretty thing like you can call me Cam. Here's my card, call it and i'll take you out to dinner sometime, give you the night of your life" He smirked suggestively at her, the laviscious look in his eyes finally making her determined to take him down a peg or ten.

She took the small piece of flimsy card, giggled and blushed, puking inside at his bullshit but needing to keep up the appearance of being a silly little secretary girl. It would make things all the more satisfying when he found out who she was. She stopped at the door, throwing an utterly fake interested glance at 'Cam' before replying.

"Well Cam, that's a nice name, but i must insist you refer to me by my title, since this is business, not pleasure." She reprimanded lightly, winking and hoping he'd take the bait. Naturally, he did.

"And what might that title be?" He stepped closer, so she was almost pressed against the door to Oslo's office. She grinned with such ferocious friendliness he was taken aback.

"Lieutenant Commander Sasha Amba Argent. Second in command to the man on the other side of this door. The man who, when he finds out that a stuck up little pretty boy like you has presumed that he can turn up uninvited and unwanted, is going to practically explode at you. The man who has so much power that if he wasn't a bald control freak women would be throwing themselves at him. The man who will probably use his seijin powers to slice you into nice little chunks which we can post home to your posh daddy. Saying that, despite him being completely insane and loathsome, I would rather spend the rest of time with him as a sex slave instead of spending a single hour at the nicest place on earth with you and the shrivelled little thing you call a manhood."

The commander's chief secretary who had been sitting in the room at her desk pretending to not be eavesdropping, snorted with laughter and hastily covered it with a very fake coughing fit. Cam had turned to glare at the pretty carribean lady and Sasha took this as her chance to slip through the door into Oslo's office, unable to stop a smug smile from filling her face. _That'll teach him._

* * *

><p>Oslo had been sitting at his desk for hours, wading through paperwork when Sasha burst into the office and clicked the door shut behind her. One look at her face told him that something interesting had occured; she looked like the cat who got the cream.<p>

"So, out with it." He flung down the memo he'd been reading, silently grateful that she'd rescued him from the boredom of all this work that had stacked up. There was a lot to clear up about the destruction of the monolith, reports from around Skyland about rebel activity, water shortages. Then there was political news, trade unions all clamoring for his attention, random people begging for his help. He hated this part of his job, however necessary it was. He wanted to always be up on the bridge, directing his ship and the fleet, but it seems that when you're trying to rule the world, there's always a thousand things that need your immediate attention. Always.

She frowned and placed one hand on her hip, the perfect picture of innocence. "Whatever do you mean sir?" He knew that she was probably just playing with him, but decided to humour her for once. He really must be tired if he was going along with her antics.

"You look like you've won the lottery. Now come on, out with it, what have you done that was so amusing?"

She laughed lightly "Nothing that amusing, just put someone in his place. There's a young man waiting outside the door. He doesn't have an appointment. Plus he tried to seduce me because he thought i was a secretary and thereby easy." She rolled her eyes. "Men."

Oslo nodded in agreement, since it seemed like the right thing to do, even though he was minorly bemused by her actions. He would never understand the female mind. Clearly, she realised this because she sighed and attempted to explain. Settling himself in for an explanation that would probably make no sense to him, he picked up his long cold mug of coffee.

"Well, its like this. If he'd known i was in the position i'm in, he probably wouldn't have come onto me so strong. Because lots of people assume that a woman who is far up in the chain of command is a much more serious person than someone lower down, like a secretary." Oslo's face didn't move as he processed what she was saying.

"So, in a nutshell you're saying that you insulted a man because he tried to seduce you due to the fact he assumed you were a secretary and also assumed that secretaries are silly women who would be taken in by a smooth talking man such as himself?" He sighed. It sounded reasonable really, but she took his sigh as disapproving.

"Yeah and i know that he thinks secretaries are all silly minded women who'll fall into his lap because he assumed from the fact that i'm dressed like this that i'm a secretary and not a Guardian. As if i would want to sleep with that...Manwhore." Oslo raised an eyebrow, things starting to slot into place for him. Funny really, considering this was what most people would term a 'heart to heart' or worse still, a 'girly chat'. How odorous. His second in command had come to him to talk about womanly issues. He shuddered inwardly. What next, her asking his opinion on the man she was pursuing? God please no...Diwan never did this to him, she never confused him with girl talk. Damn Sasha and her confusing nature. After a long pause, he decided to speak again, wishing she could talk to someone else about this.

"Sasha, is the issue the fact that he doesn't take Secretaries seriously, or that he didn't take you seriously because of how you are dressed?" She looked surprised at that and floundered.

"Well I- guess it might be that too... I just didn't like how he made a judgement that i must be an idiot from what i'm wearing. I mean..." She looked at him beseechingly "I don't look like i'm a bit well...loose, do I?"

Now it was his turn to flounder (again), not knowing what women liked to hear about themselves. He settled to tell her the truth as he saw it as clearly as possible.

"I think that you look very alluring and its easy for an imbecile like the man stood outside to not look past that and see that you are a very intelligent, beautiful woman who doesn't dress appealingly to draw attention but because she finds those clothes comfortable to wear." He finished, finally looking into her eyes and flinching at the soft looking smile she was giving him.

"Do you really think-"

"Now to business, what is the man's name?" He changed the subject before she could ask him any more awkword, soul revealing questions about himself or how he thought about her. He didn't want to think about how he was secretly satisfied that this man had failed to charm her into bed. Very satisifed.

"Oh Cameron something. The second name sounded like a disease, or maybe a type of pasta. Vitagli-something." Oslo choked on the mouthful of coffee he had just sipped up.

"Vitagliano? Cameron Vitagliano? Senior or Junior?" Sasha frowned at his reaction while he hastily mopped up the coffee on his papers and swore when he noticed that he'd got lots on his shirt. He moved swiftly across the room to a cupboard she hadn't noticed before.

"Junior, i guess, since he was around my age he could hardly be considered senior. Who is he?"

"The son of one of our major benefactors" Oslo groaned as he remembered their conversation. Putting his hand over his eyes, he asked in a very soft voice.

"What exactly did you say to him, Sasha?"

"Urmmmm...not that much. I mean, i said that his yknow..." She coughed awkwardly, gesturing vaguely. Funny how she hadn't felt embarassed with Cameron, but with Oslo she couldn't bring up the subject without wanting to die of embarassment "Was shrivelled. Oh and that I'd rather be a sex slave for ever than be with him willingly for an hour." Oslo snorted. _Thank god he didn't ask me who i said i'd be a sex slave for, that would have been- Oh my god what a weirdo, he keeps spare shirts in his cupboard? In here? Why?_

"I bet he loved that" He sneered as he reached into the cupboard and drew out a shirt, tugging off his ruined one as he continued talking to her. "So, how did he take it?"

Sasha's eyes took in her shirtless superior for a second which making him feel distinctly uncomfortable, before she replied.

"I don't know, I came in here before he could say anything. Sir...am i fired?" He smirked and shook his head, tugging his new uniform on but growling slightly when his damp fingers slid off the buttons. He looked around for something to wipe the drops of coffee onto so that he could fasten the damn fiddly things when Sasha stepped forward.

"I'll do it. But, you said he was a benefactor, what do you mean?" Oslo swallowed as she did up his collar buttons, her fingers scraping the bottom of his chin.

"I'll tell you later, right now i have to repair the damage you've done and hope you don't lose the sphere billions. When he comes in, see yourself out. You won't be necessary." He turned away as soon as she'd finished the last button, seating himself at his desk. "That'll be all Sasha. Enjoy the rest of your free time today."

She scowled and left the room, jerking her head at Cam, who was sitting in a chair with a satisfied look on his face. _Smug git. Okay, so maybe he didn't need an appointment to see Oslo. Still doesn't change the fact that he's a moron._

"You'd better go in." He smiled at her, grabbing her arm as she passed him.

"You know...the offer still stands Sasha. Call me and i'll make it worth your while." He slimed away confidently and entered the office. Sasha's hand impacted with the door before he could close it behind him.

"I've just insulted you completely, are you seriously still trying to get me to go on a date with you? You are everything i hate in a man-" He swooped in and kissed her lips, grabbing her waist until she jerked away roughly and swatted his arm.

"And you are everything i love in a woman sasha. I love it when they play hard to get."

"_I _am not playing at anything Mr Vitagliano, I'm simply not interested in a lowlife like yourself. Now why don't you and the commander have a nice conversation where he attempts to butter you up so that your daddy's company gives him lots of money."

With that, she grabbed the door handle and slammed the door in his face, already regretting insulting him again. But only a little bit. Okay, she didn't regret it at all, even if Oslo was going to kill her for ruining one of his business contacts. Still. She was sure they could cope without Cameron Vitagliano. The secretary stood up and rushed over.

"Thank you SO much." The woman crushed her in a surprising, yet pleasant hug. "That little twerp comes in every few months, he thinks the sun shines out of his arse and that he's god's gift to women." She stuck out her hand, smiling. "I'm Kiya by the way, we haven't met yet have we?"

"Well, we've met, but i've never had the chance to chat..."

"We've got time now though don't we?" The woman grinned hopefully. Sasha smiled back at the friendly, petite woman with crazy hair, touched at her kindness. Everyone else she'd met so far here had been stiff, boring guardians and loads of technicians.

"Yes," She agreed, "I suppose we have. But first, DID YOU KNOW the commander has a six pack?"

Kiya gaped "No frickin' way! The guy's thin as anything!"

"Way! He changed tops while i was in there-"

"Oooooeeeeer, stripping with the commander were you?" Kiya snorted, trying not to laugh at the image

Sasha nodded in mock seriousness "Oh hell yeah, cos he's definitely a sexy devil of a thing..."

"Hey; I know I would!" Kiya winked, shaking with repressed laughter.

"Oh, i HAVE daahling!" Sasha licked her lips dramatically and the women collapsed into giggles, already liking each other's company.

* * *

><p>Cameron crossed the room to the seat before Oslo's desk, collapsing into it and whistling appreciatively<p>

"Quite the little spitfire you've got there. Hope you don't mind me pursuing one of your staff. I mean, looking at her i don't know how you resist-"

"What my staff do in their own time is of no concern to me. Ms Argent can see whomsoever she pleases. However, given the sentiments she just displayed, i doubt it will ever be you."

Cameron waved his hand airily. "Women can never resist me. You'll see Ozzie, she'll come around."

Bristling at the informal nickname, Oslo didn't dignify the child before him with an answer. Because that was what he was; a child. He was Sasha's age, but his mannerisms were that of a spoilt brat. Sasha had most definitely been right in her instant dislike of the man. If only she knew how right she was. It was so hard to be polite to this man, knowing the terrible things he'd done.

"Now, i didn't just come here to flirt with your second in command." Cam stood, strolling over to the window and opening it to let in the breeze, without asking if he could, of course. "I came to discuss the future of my company."

"Your company? Is your father no longer CEO then?"

"My father is dead and good riddance to him." The blunt statement didn't surprise Oslo in the least. Beneath the childish, flirty front Cameron put forth there was a deep pit of malevolence. Something he'd inherited from his father; Cameron Vitagliano Senior was a ruthless man who didn't care about showing it. His young son was as ruthless as his father had been, but slightly more cunning. Less of a brute, more like a snake.

"Coincidentally, I have come about a matter concerning Sasha. I don't know if you were aware of it, but my father funded the research project she was involved in as a child. Now, when that compound he kept those freaks in was comprimised and they escaped, my mother convinced him to let them go. She was always so sentimental, couldn't understand why we were doing tests on 'innocent children' as she put it. He agreed, mainly because there was no way he could capture them anyway, now that they realised what they could do."

Cameron sat back down in the chair, leaning forwards over the desk. "I want you to find them all. We discussed this years ago after my mother's death, when you caught Sasha. Of course, you weren't commander then but you must have seen the paperwork regarding the agreement. So long as she worked for us, her family would not be pursued. After all, who cared about a few oddities when we had captured the most powerful of them? When we could use her to do our work."

Oslo laced his fingers. Their work? More like their dirty work. The agreement had worked though. Sasha had willingly helped the sphere with all of the missions given to her, unaware that the real people deciding her fate were the Vitagliano family and the damn Utopia council. He cleared his throat, knowing that the stupid man would want more. They always wanted more.

"I'm aware of all this, as you said. I have even changed things in recent months at your request - We stopped water delivery to all the block's Maria and Sasha's family where known to steal from. When she was so dehydrated she couldn't use her powers, we drew Maria in, made her work for us on that job you wanted done. Due to your shoddy planning, she was kidnapped by the rebels, sided with them and we havent seen any of them since. The sphere has done everything you asked and more. What do you want _Now_?"

Oslo felt angry, ashamed of how he had been obliged to do as this man and his father had wanted. He had betrayed Sasha. Not that he had known her then, but looking into her eyes now while remembering what he'd done was slightly painful for him, a man who supposedly never regretted anything. It irritated him that she could make him feel guilty, so he had decided not to tell Vitagliano about Maria being captured the night before. Then miraculously escaping sometime this morning. He was in no doubt that Sasha had helped her, how else would she have escaped? But Sasha was treating him so normally, so did she still not know that he had betrayed her? Surely, if she had helped Maria out, she would have left with her sister too? He'd hoped that she would have left with Maria. It would solve the problem of his vulnerability around her. If she was no longer around, he could remain emotionally detatched, stay cold and logical as he had been for years, ever since Mila betrayed him. If you don't feel then you don't hurt. That's what he'd always told himself. Why was he wrong now?

Cameron Vitagliano, CEO of the company which had tortured Sasha as a child, stood and smiled with perfectly shaped white teeth.

"I want one simple thing; find them, bring them here. Hold them here. I'm starting the project up again. Sasha won't be a part this time, she's too valuable as a sphere agent. But her sister is useful now that her powers have presented themselves. We'll use the sister instead of Sasha and find out what makes them tick. We'll produce new weapons, new treatments for illness. My father was right, who cares if a few genetic oddities suffer for the greater good?"

"Not possible. Sasha will not work for us if her family is captured. Oh, and actually, that's three things you listed." Oslo smirked at Cam's scowl. "Just trying to help you learn to count. After all, being CEO of a big company will mean a lot of new duties. Counting tends to come in handy during life."

Cameron shrugged, already leaving "At least I have a life, hmmm? _I _don't spend my time cooped up trying to capture a twelve year old girl because i think she and I are part of a fairy tale. It's sick man, really twisted...Do you want to marry her or something? I'd say get yourself a woman, but that's not going to happen now is it? As for Sasha, i guess you've got to find a way to keep it secret from her. Ciao _Ozzie_. Think about my demand. You know you've got to do it, so no trying to wriggle out of it like last time, hmm?" Cam winked cheerily. "I'd hate to have to tell the council to stop funding you. After all, we're the ones who founded the Sphere. Without us, you wouldn't be here, would you?"

With that, he left, dodging the coffee mug Oslo had sent flying at his head telepathically. The mug smashed against the wall instead, falling into a crumpled heap of thousands of pieces of china.

* * *

><p>Sasha sat slumped against the wall of the building, tears running down her face. Beside her, Kiya babbled away in sympathy and shocked anger. The words registered dimly in her head, not quite penetrating her brain. But she was grateful for the woman's thoughtfullness, trying to comfort her. Most people would have just left her to her misery, so someone trying to comfort her was a rather foreign idea. Except last night...how could she forget Oslo coming into her bedroom, trying to comfort her. He'd been so awkward, but, for want of a better word, he'd been sweet. She knew that he hated personal contact with people, yet he'd tried to be there for her. He'd stayed when she'd asked him too, even though he knew how much she hated him.<p>

"God..."she whispered, remembering what she'd just heard. How wrong she'd been about Oslo. They'd done it at Kiya's request. She wanted to see Sasha's powers, so Sasha had grasped the woman's hand and walked through the door invisibly into the office. What she'd seen and heard there had shocked her and confused Kiya, who now knew about Sasha's past at the compound, albeit only in part. The bit that had killed Sasha though, is what happened afterwards.

As Cameron was leaving, Sasha had dragged Kiya back out into the other room, shoving her into her seat.

"Act innocent!" She had hissed, earning a wide eyed nod from the woman, who busied herself with the computer on her desk. Sasha turned, arms folded as the door opened and Cam came out of Oslo's office. She'd walked with him down out of the house, acting naturally and appearing to grudgingly agree to meet up with him sometime. He had smirked and she'd seen in his sick mind that he'd always believed that she'd come around to the idea of going on a date with him. He'd been certain that he was too irresistible.

After he'd disappeared into his ship and left the Olympus, she finally allowed herself to sink down to the ground outside the house, reliving everything that had happened to her at the compound because of that man and his fathers' warped idea of the greater good. Kiya had found her there and listened as she'd sobbed out her story, explained it to this woman she'd only know for five minutes, told her things that she hadn't even told Maria. Kiya had listened, not interrupting until Sasha had finished her tale and then tried to distract her gently, left her mainly to her own thoughts.

Sasha smiled now, turning to her newfound friend, resolving to speak to Oslo soon. To apologise somehow about how she'd thought he'd betrayed her deal with the sphere. To help him fight off this...council. She'd never used her full ghost powers for the sphere, never taken their direct orders. They had no idea who they were dealing with when they threatenened her family and her friend. If Oslo could be called a friend...

"So. Kiya... How do you feel about helping me bring this bastard to justice and find out what the hell is going on?" Kiya laughed softly

"I thought you'd never ask. Lets do this!...Erm, you have a plan, right?"

**A/N Sasha got a small case of potty mouth during this chapter, but please don't be offended by it. Trust me, things are going to get a lot more offensive than what she says and insinuates in this chapter. We obviously met a pretty major character in this chapter who will continue to appear in all his slimy perviness. The chapter is unfortunately very dialogue heavy and long, but it was necessary. But yay for Kiya right? What an Angel, aww :) she's going to stick around awhile too, because i thought Sasha was deficient in female friends, plus not everyone who works for the sphere is a baddie, are they?**

**Glad to hear you like the song ****Stratocumulus, I was hoping against all hope that noone would be like "Your music taste sucks!" because i would feel obligated to insult them back :) **

**Anyways, here is the next chapter. Its pretty unedited, i just finished this off and yes, i know this is my second chapter in one day. If anyone's wondering, its due to the fact i just finished writing out how the plot is going to go, so i want to rush through the boring bits and get to the good parts. Unfortunately, Word has died on my computer (Cam killed it - further proof of his evilness) so i've been having to use wordpad, which has no spellchecker. Any mistakes i've made, i really do apologise for, they're my own mistakes made by typing this up in only one hour because i just drank lots of redbull. Healthy, i know...RnR**


	5. What the hell?

**A/N Woot, so many lovely reviews! No dahlia in this chapter though guys, although she is in the next one. We've skipped forwards about 20 days now, just because nothing was happening then. Next chapter will be up tomorrow hopefully. I know you're going to love it...**

**Chapter Five: What the hell**

_**So what if I go out on a million dates  
>(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)<br>You never call or listen to me anyway  
>(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)<br>I'd rather rage than sit around and wait all day  
>(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)<br>Don't get me wrong, I just need some time to play (yeah) **_

**( Avril Lavigne - What the hell )**

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><p>Over two weeks had passed by with her barely realising it and now it was the night. Her dreaded date with Cameron. She'd have to sit opposite that monster all evening, laugh at his jokes and pretend that she liked him. She continually reminded herself that what she was going to do was all part of the plan. But god she was sinking so low. Sure, he'd payed scientists to use her as a lab rat, but she shouldn't be enjoying the thought of how she was going to kidnap him, should she? Sasha sighed and finished pinning up her hair. Her bag was slung over her shoulder already, so now all she could do was wait. There was about half an hour until the time he was due to pick her up and she was certain he'd arrive late in an attempt to make her flustered and wonder if he was standing her up.<p>

Leaving her room, she headed to the kitchens to get something fatty and comforting to eat, expecting that the restaurant he was taking her to would have nothing decent to eat. It'd probably be caviar and vol-au-vents all the she entered the kitchen, Oslo was already sitting in the adjoining dining room. He'd been avoiding her the past few weeks. No doubt trying to avoid her finding out about his task. She opened their fridge and shoved aside various jars and packets, finding nothing worthwhile. She'd run out of chocolate. Unless...She crossed to the cupboard nearby, rummaged around, laughing triumphantly when she found a big tub of chocolate spread. Whipping a spoon out of a drawer and slipping into the seat next to Oslo, she tucked in happily, savouring the creamy chocolatey flavour.

"Are you really going to just eat that rubbish for dinner?" Oslo sounded scandalised and she smirked, looking straight into his face as she spooned up another mouthful, placed it in her mouth and moaned dramatically.

"MMMMMMM. Yep. Definitely. I think you'll find no balanced diet is complete without sugar and fat." She scooped up another spoonful before she screwed the lid back on regretfully. "That was so good..."She licked her lips, well aware of how Oslo was watching her in morbid fascination.

"What? I'm never going to be a skinny girl, so i may as well eat stuff that i enjoy." She stood and put her sugar filled snack away. "Besides, i'm out of normal chocolate bars. Someone's been eating them i swear-"

"Yes, you." He flicked his newspaper open again, chuckling. "You never seem to do that much cooking." She crossed her arms stubbornly and huffed. In turn, he barely glanced her way.

"I'll have you know, i can cook very well, i just choose not to. Have you eaten yet?" Oslo put the paper down again, resolved to the fact that he wouldn't get any peace to read it now that she was in the room.

"No, Sasha, i have not. If you're thinking what i think you're thinking, i'll pass on your no doubt awful cooking. I'd hate for you to blow up the kitchen. You'd ruin your lovely outfit...are you going somewhere anyway?" He was clearly fishing for answers so she denied him the pleasure of knowing.

"Yes i am going out, plus you're a bit of a hypocrit aren't you? I've never seen you cook anything. Normally chef makes something for you." He stood and walked to stand in front of her so they were almost chest to chest

"I could do better than you any day." He sniffed, looking down upon her as she winked, grabbed an apron and shoved it into his chest.

"Oh you're on."

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><p>When Cam arrived an hour later, he was greated by a sight which immediately made him wish he had a camera. Commander Oslo stood over the sink wearing a frilly apron, yellow gloves and a scowl so intense it could make a grown man run crying for his mother. He glared at Cameron for a moment before Sasha interrupted the men's glaring session.<p>

"CAM!" She gushed, running up and hugging him, laughing. Oslo glared at her back. Cam nodded at the commander over her shoulder, feeling momentarily sorry for the guy. Clearly, Sasha had made him do this.

"I just need to go freshen up a little, put my lipgloss back on. Me and Oslo had a little cooking competition. He lost, so he's got to do the washing up. Oh and wear this fetching apron. Really bring out the colour of his eyes, don't you think?" She giggled and left the room, intent on first eavesdropping to see if they talked about anything interesting when they thought she'd gone. Once again, they didn't disappoint.

"What's your game Oslo? Like her do you? I sincerely hope your friendship with her won't stop you from doing your job." Cameron snarled the second after he thought she'd gone. Blimey, he didn't waste any time...

"And what if it does?"

"Then you can kiss goodbye to your career here and say hello to a long stay in kharzem." Oslo snorted and tossed down the dishcloth, leaning back onto the counter.

"We have no leads. We havent seen Maria since we first captured her and pressganged her into doing a job for you. They've presumably taken refuge with the pirates. May i remind you that we have failed for years to find said rebel pirates? You may well want me to find them. But i may not be able to." Cameron's face twisted into an angry growl as he stepped forward and grabbed Oslo by the apron.

"You will try to find them, hear me? You old fool..." He shoved Oslo away and into the countertop with a sharp crack. Oslo winced but didn't make a sound as Cameron added over his shoulder;

"Stay away from Sasha too. She's not interested in an old lunatic like you. Why would she be when she's going on a date with me, someone wealthy and her own age?" He grasped the door handle and pulled, frowning when the door didn't open.

"Stupid thing must be stuck- OWWW!"

The door had stopped resisting suddenly and slamming into his face. Oslo smirked as the man left, rubbing his injured jaw.

"Oh i'll _Try _to find them, Cameron. Just not my hardest..." He turned back to busy himself with drying the dishes. Sasha silently reached past him and wrote "Thank you" in the steamed up window before leaving. So Oslo was on her side then? Well, that was pretty it was nice to know that she now had Oslo and Kiya on her side. However, the next part of her flimsy plan depended entirely on her. She tore herself away from Oslo's busy form and left the room, only turning visible as she arrived outside where Cam was waiting.

"Hey, you look wonderful" He winked, offering his arm to her. She breathed in deeply and took his arm, smiling her best fake smile.

"Oh Cam, you're face is all red, what happened?"

"Oh, nothing, just clumsiness really."

Sasha smiled sympathetically, but was sniggering mentally. She'd been holding the door shut as he pulled at it, waiting for him to give an extra big pull. Just as he'd pulled she'd let go of the handle on her side so that the door hit him. Childish, but very satisfying...

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><p>After a long dinner, she braced herself for what she knew was coming. The "goodnight" kiss. She had to respond as well, if she wanted to make this work. Oh hell, they were at the door to the house now. Time for the act.<p>

"I had a great night tonight Cam, thanks for taking me out." It had been awful from start to finish. He'd talked about himself non stop. Now she knew everything about him from the type of car he had (who cares? She could fly, why would she be impressed by him being able to drive a machine that killed the environment?) to the names of all the women who he'd dated in the past. Well, way to make a girl feel special when he rattled off a long list of who he'd been out with. He was trying to make her think that it was a big deal, him asking her out because in his own words "he usually went for pretty girls". What a complete arsehole.

And his lips were leaning in towards her now. Oh jeez. This was not going to be good. She closed the gap, moving her lips lightly over his until he took over, forcing his tongue into her mouth. He was an awful kisser, making her breathless in a bad way as he practically vacuum sucked the air out of her, his lips slobbering over hers and his hands reaching slyly for her chest. Right, that was enough fun for him. She drew the line at letting him grope her. When she broke away she was genuinely out of breath from his vacuum suction lips, which he took to be a good sign. Probably thought she was breathless in a "WOW THAT WAS AMAZING" way. She wished...

"How bout you invite me in for coffee?" He murmured in her ear, his hands travelling steadily downwards until she broke away, shaking her head.

"No, i can't take you inside...but" She pretended to be disappointed "Maybe...We could meet somewhere private in half an hour?" He grinned, liking her suggestive tone.

"Sure thing babe, where do you want me to meet you?" She shrugged, then leaned in to whisper.

"Meet me out near the ocean in say...half an hour and i'll take you someplace. Just the two of us." she winked flirtatiously, opened the mansion and escaped from his clutches as quickly as possible without drawing suspicion.

The stairs flashed by as she pounded up them and into something very solid. The obstacle in question turned out to be her boss, who didn't look all too happy to see her. Still, at least he caught her in his arms instead of letting her rebound off him and onto her butt. So he didn't completely hate her. Yet.

"Have a good time then Sasha?" He sneered, "Made quite an exhibition of yourself out there. I thought he was a lowlife? With shrivelled assets?" Sasha snorted.

"You didn't have to watch us if it offends you so were you watching anyway?" The faintest hints of a blush appeared on his face. Urged on by the several glasses of wine and cocktails she'd had, she moved closer to him so that their foreheads were touching and looped her hands around his neck before he could pull away.

"Sasha, are you drunk-" He was sniffing suspiciously.

"Stop talking." She crushed her lips onto his, ignoring his initial surprise. She needed to purge the memory of kissing Cameron. Of having to run her fingers through his hair and moan like she wanted him to be kissing her when really she was hating ever single second. It took her a second to realize that Oslo wasn't really responding, he was pulling away gently. She pushed further forwards, surprised to find that she was actually enjoying this. Tomorrow she'd be look back in shame, but this was now. So tomorrow could take a hike. He hit the wall and she pressed against him insistently until he wiggled his hands from where they'd been around her to hold her face away from his.

"Sasha- stop. You're drunk -"

"Only a little, who cares?"

"ME! You don't want to be doing mmmthis" he sighed around her lips as she succeeded in kissing him again, before he snapped out of it and pushed her off of him. He held her at arms length away from him, wincing at her hurt expression.

"Why won't you let me..."

"Because you're not in control at the moment. Plus, you're _Boyfriend _told me to stay away from you."

Sasha laughed and batted Oslo's arms away from her. "Since when did you have problems with a woman throwing herself at you. He's also not my boyfriend, he's a self loving twit who i unfortunately have to meet again in 20 minutes."

She turned and wandered away wiggling her hips as she walked. "Oh and Oslo, when i'm back from getting Cam to leave me alone permanently, i'll be sober enough that you won't feel obliged to resist me anymore. Believe me, i'm coming back for you and when i do i'm going to kiss you until you want to beg for mercy but can't because i've taken all your breath away" She laughed and he gulped, fighting down thoughts about how nice that kiss had felt and how he really wouldn't mind a repeat of the experience. But there were more important things to attend to. Plus, once she was sober she'd probably have realised how stupid her actions were. Why would she willingly kiss him whilst sober? She'd only kissed him because she was drunk...hadn't she?

He sighed and headed downstairs, intent on having his nighttime jog. He'd taken up jogging since realising a month ago that he wasn't as fit as he should be. He prided himself on the fact that he was decently muscled, but when it came to jogging he was a bit of a loser. He'd always valued strength more than speed.

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><p>Sasha glanced around the beach, seeing nobody except Cameron standing on the Jetty. She quickly felt around for any lifesigns with her ghost powers. Another benefit of being half ghost - you could always sense the people or ghosts around you. It wasn't an aura. It was kinda just a feeling in the back of her head. She was technically half dead, so any full blooded living person blazed in her senses. There were four people in the area. There was Cam, ahead of her on the beach. She could feel Oslo distantly, but the two other signals caught her attention. She stalked through the trees, not going invisible. She'd need her energy for what was ahead. As she'd thought, there was a small ship hidden by with two body guards sat inside.<p>

She quickly pondered about whether to kill them or just knock them out. It sounded cruel, but the best way would be to kill them. If they were left alive, they might tell someone that she was the last person Cam saw before he "disappeared". She decided to knock them out. She could figure out what to do with them later. Now for the camera's. She pulled out a walkie talkie and switched it to channel 4

"Sunshine! Calling sunshine" She felt stupid, but it was Kiya's codename. Apparently Kiya was short for something, a name whose meaning was 'sunshine'.

"I've got ya silver, 3,2,1. GO!"

Sasha grinned. Thank god for Kiya. She'd been a saint, even flirting with one of the gruesome IT technicians in an attempt to help. She'd surreptitiously grabbed some of the camera footage that showed Cameron walking onto the beach, as well as some footage of the empty beach at night. In a thirty minute window, she'd stuck together a reverse shot of cameron walking onto the beach, so this time he appeared to walk off of it. Then after that ran a loop of the picture of the empty beach. Sasha couldn't be seen now that the camera was looping. Nobody would see him suddenly disappear. It would seem as though he had waited there a while, then decided to leave. She could claim that she'd stood him up for her own satisfaction. Hopefully, people would buy it.

She walked onto the beach, switching off the walkie talkie and shoving it into her back pocket for later. Cam turned and ran over to her, reaching his arm out to no doubt pull her into his gropey embrace.

He face met her fist at full force and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"What a lightweight" She snickered, grabbing him under his arms and hauling him over her shoulder. "We're going on a little trip you and I..."

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><p><strong>AN So, where do you think she's going to take him? As i said, next chapter we're back to Dahlia, where you'll find out if she's recovering or not. *bites nails in anticipation* I really, really want to tell you whats going to happen. It will be suitably dramatic...**


	6. Science and Faith

**A/N Well you MaD people...here's what you've been waiting for. Hope its not too predictable.**

**Spicemeisje, in reply to your review, i meant that Dahlia would be in THIS chapter. In fact, the next few chapters are all going to be revolving around Dahlia and Mahad. You will very soon see why...**

**Chapter 6: Science And Faith**

_**You won't find faith or hope down a telescope,**_

_**you won't find heart and soul in the stars.**_

_**You can break everything down to chemicals,**_

_**but you can't explain a love like ours.**_

**( The Script - Science and Faith )**

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><p>Dahlia winced as she stood, holding her side for a moment as the pain dispersed. Maria was there to help her, chattering away happily about living with Wayan. Dahlia was happy for the couple, really she was. They both clearly liked each other, but despite being such outgoing personalities, neither would admit it to the other. There were bets going on privately between the rebels about who would tell who first. Dahila's money was on Maria. The girl couldn't keep a secret long and she was completely infatuated with him. Plus, Maria had already confessed to her about planning to tell Wayan soon if he didn't say anything. So she guessed that her bet was pretty safe, since Wayan probably wasn't even considering telling Maria. She knew her friend well enough to realise that he was awkward around women, bless him, but he did try.<p>

She'd finished packing up some of the clothes people had brought to the hospital for her and collapsed onto the bed. They had to wait for the doctor to deliver her final set of test results to make sure she was on the mend before she could be sent home. The two or three weeks she'd spent here had felt like forever - she hated to just be lying in bed all day. Maria had been the best, popping in to visit her at least every two days to update her on all the latest missions and talk excitedly about when Dahlia could come back to join in. She appreciated the thought, but she highly doubted she was going to be back to her active lifestyle anytime soon.

"Miss?" A doctor in surgican scrubs was leaning around the door, smiling vaguely. "Can i come in? I have your test results here. I think you might like to hear them in ahem.. private?" Maria shrugged and left, flashing a smile at Dahlia as she closed the door.

_God, this must be bad news if he's asking Maria to leave. I thought i was feeling better... _He stood nearby, opening his folder and looking at her over the top of it.

"You're kidney function has improved slightly, which is a very good sign. Currently, you're in no immediate danger but going on missions is out of the question. Don't do anything too strenuous, take it little by little and i suggest you eat healthily, just so you don't overwhelm your kidneys too much while they're this weak." He shut the folder and clutched it to his chest. "There is something else that the urine scans picked up however."

Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts about what terrible illness she might have. Please not cancer, oh my gosh was he going to say something crazy like she had three weeks to live? What would she do if-

"You're pregnant. Very early stages, probably only a few weeks. But the test is conclusive. Congratulations are in order i suppose. Here's your medication for while you're away and remember not to..."

His voice trailed away into the back of her hearing as she processed what he was saying. Pregnant? No, no, no. That wasn't possible, it couldn't be.

"But i was on the pill!" She exclaimed, slightly too loud and he frowned.

"Once a day, yes?" She nodded "Even during your stay here?" She groaned. No, she hadn't. It hadn't been very high on her priority scale, considering for a while they thought she was going to wither away into nothing and die. But seriously, pregnant?

"So umm, these are my meds right? Thanks, i'll just go-"

"You realise, if this wasn't planned there is always the option of abortion-"

"NO! No, thankyou, but no." She wished she could run from the room but in her injured state had to settle for a fast paced hobble. Pregnant? Oh god oh god oh SHIT. Who could she tell about this? Should she tell anyone... or there was always the option the doctor had mentionned. No, god she wasn't thinking straight. How could she destroy Mahad's child? But she couldn't be a mother could she? She was a pirate for god's sake, it wasn't exactly an ideal baby raising environment...What would people say? they were so young by normal standards.

A terrible thought occured to her and she shuddered to a halt, clutching the wall for support. What if Mahad didn't want the baby? What if he told her he'd have nothing more to do with her. A sob started in the back of her throat and she started to jog unsteadily, flinging the door aside and into Maria's affronted side.

"HEY WATCH IT! oh dahlia its...what's wrong?" Suddenly Dahlia was enveloped in an enormous bear hug. Maria most certainly was a hugger, a character trait brought on by having watched over small children often when she was growing up with her family.

"Pregnant" Dahlia choked, half glad that she had someone to tell and half ashamed to be breaking down like this. "Mahad's the father. I - I don't know what to do. Whether he will want the baby." Maria caught her by the shoulders, speaking firmly and calmly.

"It is irrelevant whether he wants the baby or not. It's your body, so it's your decision." She took a deep breath and with complete seriousness asked "Do YOU want this child Dahlia?"

Dahlia considered. It was certainly unexpected, but the idea wasn't entirely unpleasant. She loved Mahad, though she could barely believe it let alone admit it. After him confessing to her the other week she'd barely seen him. She didn't know whether it had just been a pain induced hallucination, although according to Maria he'd stayed at her bedside right up until she woke up. Keeping vigil. But when she'd woken up what had she got? A whole lot of NOTHING. But she did love him and this baby was a symbol of that. Thinking of the baby made her remember the night he'd loved her, kissed and held her. His baby. Her baby.

"Yes...I think i do want this baby" She smiled at Maria, who was fighting an enormous grin but failing miserably. The girls squeed as one and hugged again, dancing from side to side on the spot, laughing in each others arms. Maria broke away first.

"So baby momma, are you ready to tell Mahad or do you want to wait a few days?" Dahlia smiled, thinking she'd rather wait so that she had time for the news to sink in.

"I'll wait. But what if i'm a rubbish mum Maria! All i know about is guns and ships. I've always been one of the lads. I don't know anything about kids, i was an only child" Maria winked and linked her arm through her friends, tugging her through the hospital door and into the bright sunshine.

"You'll learn. I'll teach you. I grew up without adults from around the age of six. Sasha would be the best to teach you of course, she mothered all of us little lost children. When she went, i took over though. Its easy, believe me. When they're little babies it can be difficult but if Mahad supports you then you can take it in turns to look after her. Or him."

"You're talking like Mahad is just going to accept this...OH NO. Mila. She's going to kill me. She told me not to make her a grandmother and i am. She's not even 40 and she's going to be a granny." Dahlia's face contorted into silent laughter.

"Mate, if he doesn't like it then he can get a painfully aimed kick from me and _I'LL_ support you. I know i'm not first choice, but you won't be alone."

Dahlia was touched by her new friend's words. Really touched. She'd never really had many "girlfriends" because of her boyish attitude. Most girls tended to treat her with disdain like shannon did. Maria was just so bubbly though. Completely insane, with a fierce temper when she was provoked, but she had a heart of Gold.

"You should ask Wayan out for dinner." The words had left her lips before she had even realised she was saying them.

"NOOOOOO! I couldn't, he wants me as a friend, i mean, I'm too...loud...for him. He's so quiet and serious sometimes. I like that about him, that he can be playful, but serious when he needs to be. I think i scare him with my loudness sometimes though." Her lips twisted downwards remorsefully and Dahlia shook her head.

"He likes you! Look, i'm not meant to tell you this, so you DID NOT hear this from me, okay? But he really likes you but he's shy about asking you and he'd never dream of ruining your friendship so he won't ever ask. Unless you ask him out and take the initiative."

"Really? You're sure right? Who told you?"

"HE DID! I'm one of his best friends remember. Usually i wouldn't betray his confidence, but i've heard how much you like each other from both of you, it would be a crime to just do nothing. PLEEEEEAAASE ask him, he really wants to be with you. You'd be so right for him, you're so nice and supportive over this whole pregnancy issue and i just thought you would want to know that your love is requited, he loves you back."

Maria shone. Literally, shone with ghostly joy. Grabbing Dahlia in yet another bear hug, she lifted her clean off the floor for a moment as they flew a few feet from the ground. Dahlia shrieked with fake fear and the friends drifted back down to walk in the direction of Dahlia's house, talking about everything from Nappies to pushchairs to names and in Maria's case, re-checking that Wayan liked her. Again.

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><p><strong>AN Short, i know but i just had to get it out, it was rattling around in my head and absolutely KILLING ME not being able to let you know. So you've found this out a bit earlier than was previously going to happen, plus this chapter is entirely unspellchecked cos i whizzed through writing it. **

**so here's the IMPORTANT question. Do you think it's going to be a boy or girl? I already have a couple of names in mind and a preferred gender, but i'd love to know what you guys preference would be, since I could probably be persuaded to change my mind. I must admit, i'm such a MaD fan that i've already planned what their child would look like, regardless of gender. Freaky, i know. Plus, major spoilers hint, but this child will be very...special. So, Review my pretties, REVIEW!**


	7. You are my Religion

**A/N Well hello there again! Didya miss me? ;) I know this chapter's title isn't a song, its just a quote i like. We're also timewarping into the past, so hang tight now guys...**

**Chapter Seven: You are my religion**

_**I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion -  
>I have shuddered at it.<br>I shudder no more.  
>I could be martyr'd for my religion<br>Love is my religion  
>And I could die for that.<br>I could die for you.  
>~ quote by John Keats ~ <strong>_

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><p><em><strong>10 Years Ago<strong>_

Dahlia laughed as her father ruffled his hands through her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Bye bye baby girl" his grey-brown hair flopped into his eyes, sticking up at the back and all over the place in a messy arangement. His face wasn't particularly lined - he was only 32 but there were prominent laughter lines around his eyes, which were almost liquid amber in the light from the window.

"Daddyyyyyyyyy" She whined, pouting fakely and making him smile wider.

"I'll be back later Dally, don't go in the workshop while i'm gone. I've got a surprise for you in there." The ten year old slipped off her chair and tugged on his sleeve insistently, ignoring her mother's exasperated sigh.

"SHOW ME SHOW ME!" He swooped her up into his arms and whirled her around laughing until a hand stopped them.

"George, you need to leave. It'll wait until later. She needs to eat her breakfast first." Dahlia scowled at her mother and turned innocently pleading eyes onto her father, knowing he was a sucker for that look. True to form, he gave in and leant down so she could pick up her cereal bowl and carry it with her to his garage.

Her father's private workroom was her favourite place in the whole house. True, it was only their old garage. But to her young mind it was the haven in which she'd spent countless hours seated on a hard wooden crate, too high off the floor to touch her toes to the ground. For as long as she could remember, she'd sat on her crate out of the danger zone of sparks and hazardous chemicals, watching her father make beautiful little contraptions with his hands or fix ships. Her mother would sometimes come out into the room to bring them food, or a cup of steaming hot tea.

The oldest, dearest memory she had was a time when she was perhaps four years old, upon one of the priveledged occasions where she'd been allowed to sit next to him at his desk. This only ever happened when he wasn't working on something dangerous, or something she could help with. As she sat there, fours years old, dipping a biscuit into her extremely milky tea she felt totally at peace whilst her father swiflty constructed a little metal car from spare nuts and bolts on his desk. He'd presented it to her and she'd found it more special, more precious than any expensive toy from a shop, because she'd seen it made. She'd watched his hands twist and dance over each other, assembling the assorted odds and ends he had, all the while telling her what he was doing and why. He didn't talk down to her. Rather than speaking in a way she would easily understand, he used all of the technical jargon and then helped her to understand what it meant.

That night, she'd ran the tiny car's wheels over the surface of the desk, just a little bit too hard so that the car's metal wheels gouged into the surface of the wood. He'd smiled and ran his fingers through her hair and said nothing at all. When she grew a little bored and started to fidget, he'd drawn her into his lap and showed her all his drawings of possible inventions - things he'd make if he only had the parts, or the money.

But now she was ten and so much bigger. So much older. He put her down and twisted the handle to the room and entered, pulling her in behind him. There was a large object down in the centre of the room, away from where their desk stood in the corner of the room. For it was not her father's desk now - It was THEIR desk. On the day she had turned seven, she had walked into the room with her father as usual and found two chair there instead of one, placed opposite each other over the large workbench.

"I thought, since you're such a big girl now, it wouldn't do for you to be sitting on a crate anymore, would it?" His voice had whispered in her ear and she had hugged him hard with a squeal of delight.

However, today was not a day for working at the bench. The item in the centre of the room was what had her attention. She ran over and gasped softly, turning to grin at her father.

"I finally found one. It wasn't cheap, but i've had money saved for years now." The shell of an airbike, rusty and dented sat before them. For years her father had had an engine design in his head, along with a design for the airbike it would fuel. But one of the pieces he'd needed was of sphere design and had long ago become obsolete. Very rare to find, because the sphere tended to recycle any scrap metal and turn it into brigs. Most of the bikes which had used this paticular piece were now part of some S-19 somewhere.

"So we can make it!"

"Yes we can baby girl." He grinned and patted the hunk of junk before him before taking her tiny hand in his. "But right now, you better get back to the table and finish that off. I'd better head off too. Water retrieval mission" He smiled at her and wiggled her hand playfully, then twirled her as if they were dancing. The little blond girl giggled and rushed out of the room, through the threshhold of the door where every month he'd carefully marked her height and how much she'd grown against the doorframe. Right near the top of the door, he could make out a wobbly line where she'd stood on a chair and marked his height before laboriously writing _Daddy _in the uneven scrawly of a five year old.

He chuckled and shook his head before opening the main door out of the garage and slamming it shut behind him, emerging right onto the front drive of their house. Reaching the end of the path, he turned to go right and waved to Dahlia, who was standing in the living room window as she always did. She was waving frantically and grinning through a mouthful of toast, blowing kisses to him which he pretended to catch and then returned, blowing then daintily off of his fingertips at her and laughing so that the sun glinted off of the red in his brown hair and the joy in his eyes.

Dahlia watched him until he was completely out of sight, already missing the presence of her mentor, her best friend and guardian. He rounded the corner and disappeared behind the house that stood there.

"He'll be back by the time you're home from school kiddo" Her mother hugged her from behind and shooed her upstairs to get changed.

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><p>When Dahlia got in from school, she didn't bother to go through the front door of the house, knowing her father would be waiting in the garage. He'd be sitting at his desk, drinking a cup of strong, sugarless tea with only the tiniest bit of milk (exactly how he liked it. And how she now liked it - milky tea was for babies.) He'd be drawing in his notebook, not wanting to start work on the engine without her. She'd walk in and he'd look up, throw down his notebook and run to hug her, ruffle her hair and ask how her day was. Like he <em>ALWAYS <em>did.

Her eyes blurred as the handle to pull up the garage door slipped beneath her sweaty fingers. She dried her hands on her shirt and pushed away the bad thoughts. Pushed away the fact that the captain's car was parked outside her house. Pushed away the crewmate of her father's who had just come out of the house to pull her gently away, towards the house while saying how sorry they were.

He would be there. He was a mathematical constant in her life. He was like the north star to her - never changing. Always there as her guiding light in the black world around them. They would see - these crewmates of her fathers who were trying to tell her he'd gone MIA - missing in action. He would be sitting there and he'd look up, smiling the special smile he reserved for her and wondering why there was such a large amount of fuss going on. They would see...he _WOULD _be there.

The door swished up and open, revealing the darkened workroom and blasting her with a wave of cool air. No light shone within, no sound reached her ears from the black abyss that had been her haven. No father sitting there with a mug of tea waiting for her, ready to listen to her stories and teach her about everything. No life. No light.

Her North Star had been extinguished. Nothing but darkness remained.

* * *

><p><strong>AN A little angsty, i know, but i wanted to give Dahlia a bit of backstory. This backstory will continue next chapterrrrr and then we'll be back to present day hopefully. Chapters will have to be short and a bit sporadic for now, its all i can really manage at the moment. SORRY! RnR anyways. (also, i have decided upon the names of Dahlia's baby. With a little help from spicemeisje, who suggested the name. However, i do still have a few tricks up my sleeve...mwahahaha)**


	8. Pain

**IMPORTANT A/N:**

**As of now onwards, this story is going to be put up to an M rating for violence, swearing and adult themes, just as a precaution. The real heavy stuff starts next chapter, this chapter its just swearing and general bluntness. Also, i just had to include a small nod to stratocumulus concerning Marcus' story - it comes from her fanfic "escaping prophecies" which i highly suggest reading, since its A) very good and B) her first fanfiction. I like the history she's building between Marcus and Mila, so i may well reference her in the future when their past comes up.**

**Chapter Eight: Pain**

_**You're sick of feeling numb  
>You're not the only one<br>I'll take you by the hand  
>And I'll show you a world that you can understand<strong>_

**_This life is filled with hurt_**  
><strong><em>When happiness doesn't work<em>**  
><strong><em>Trust me and take my hand<em>**  
><strong><em>When the lights go out you will understand<em>**

**( Pain - Three days grace )**

* * *

><p>Dahlia wrenched the door open irritatedly and blinked in surprise when she saw who was waiting on the other side there. Mila, lena and Mahad all stood grouped on the porch of her family home. In mila's hands nestled a cheerful wicker basket covered in a piece of red cloth. So she'd remembered then.<p>

"Come in Mila." The woman smiled at her and entered, handing over the basket almost solemly. It was like tradition between the two women, who held a certain understanding between the two of them. But why did she bring Mahad with her? More importantly, should Dahlia tell Mahad about the baby? Was it too soon?

They walked through the dark hall, which Dahlia had never particularly taken care of. She'd never changed the decoration her parents had used and only now that Mahad was here did she feel embarassed about how faded the paint was and how old the windows were. She'd never had the heart to change anything that reminded her of those comfortable days. People didn't understand why she wanted to remember, why she didn't move house or change things around and start afresh. But she clung to all of her memories, good and bad. If she let them go, then what would she have? She'd just be living alone in the house, just her all on her own.

The living room was light and airy and considerably better taken care of. It was her second favourite room in the house, with her father's old leather armchair standing proudly on the left of the fireplace, her mother's chair opposite it on the right hand side of the fireplace. There was a sofa between the two, facing the fire but it had rarely been sat in. She had always chosen to curl up on the rug near her father, listening to him tell her the news about what was going on outside of the block. Then, when he was busy sketching, or sleeping gently in front of the fire, her mother would call her over to sit on her lap. Then began her mother's nightly ritual of brushing through Dahlia's long, golden, waist length hair after untying it from its high ponytail.

Dahlia sighed and ripped herself out of her memories. The date just made all the good memories seem bitter sweet. She took her father's chair, not wanting anyone else to sit there. Mila sat in her mother's chair, which caused her only a slight twinge of pain before the others sat on the sofa.

"So how are you feeling? I baked cookies, i hope you'll like them."

"I always like your cooking Mila" Dahlia reassured her, unpacking the basket and holding out so everyone could take one. Mila noticed her deliberate avoidance of answering her question and changed tack.

"So i hear you won't be going out on missions for a while? What will you do then?" Mahad was wolfing down his biscuit in a disgustingly cute way, spilling crumbs everywhere.

"Oh, i can still go out on the ship and help around town. I can still help fly the ship, i just can't do any heavy lifting, running. So i can go on routine trading journeys, but nothing which involves a risk of me having to fight, because i wouldn't stand a chance in this condition."

Mila nodded and chewed her biscuit thoughtfully. The clock ticked loudly from its spot on the mantlepiece, reverberating in her ears. Abruptly, Mila stood and brushed off her hands.

"Well, i'd best be going. I need to go to the market and get Lena some new clothes - she's growing so fast now" Mila practically coooed by the ende of her sentence, hugging her daughter to her side, which caused Lena to blush.

"Muuuuum..." She groaned, ashamed of her mother's openly loving attitude in front of others. Mila winked at her daughter and reached across to Dahlia, pulling her into a hug.

"_Don't do anything stupid._" She hissed in Dahlia's ear before pulling away again and smiling fakely.

"I'll see you at home in a few hours Mahad...YES you are staying here." Mahad made a face and Dahlia's heart flopped in her chest. Why didn't he want to stay here with her? She hadn't seen him for weeks. Not since his confession...maybe he hadn't meant it. Maybe he regretted saying it. Of course he did.

She saw Mila and Lena to the door, mildly annoyed at Mila as always. It was like Mila expected her to be like her mother. Mother... Dahlia's heart panged again in her chest and she gritted her teeth to hold in her sobs. No more tears today. No more, no more. She'd already woken up crying from the dream about the day her father had disappeared. Her hands found the doorframe, bracing herself against it with her hands as she doubled over in pain from her stomach and from her soul.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist. Mahad. She'd forgotten about him completely. He pulled her upright, resting her head backwards onto his chest as she cried in deep anguish.

"What is it, Dahlia? Tell me what's wrong and i'll fix it, i swear i will." His lips pressed to her forhead as her face turned into his chest, muffling her cries in the thick material of his clothes. Dimly, she realised that he was pulling her away from the hall, towards the kitchen.

"NOT THERE!" She wailed suddenly, pulling back from him and then crying out from the pain that movement caused. He caught her as she doubled over again, gasping.

"Enough of this." He swooped and picked her up, fighting her off as he walked into the kitchen and she remembered. Oh god she remembered that day. This day.

* * *

><p><em><strong>May 19th, 10 years ago.<strong>_

Dahlia opened the front door and let herself in, toeing off her shoes and not bothering to call out a hello. Nobody would reply now anyway. Her mother had descended into an apathetic, zombie-like state in the month or so since her father's death. Today was worse though. Today had been special. Her dad's birthday. She wondered where he was spending it, all alone in some prison cell, or evading capture, somewhere on one of the outskirts planets, making his way back home. Yes, that would be it. He would be coming home to them. He'd promised he always would. Why couldn't her mother see that? Why wouldn't she believe in him?

Dahlia froze in the kitchen doorway, her brain processing and rejecting the sight before her eyes. The family photo album lay in tatters on the kitchen, laying atop a broken wine bottle. She reached for the album and glanced at the page it was open on. In the space where there should be four photos, there were only three. She probed the immediate area with her eyes and found half of the missing photo ripped and dirty under her boot. Kneeling, she saw that it was her that smiled from this part of the picture, an arm looped around her from where the photo was torn in two. Her printed face was spattered with all too real fresh blood.

There were drops of blood elsewhere on the floor, she now realised. They led over to the closed door from the kitchen to the garage, the workshop. Her fingers burned upon the blood-flecked doorhandle, twisting it and flinging it open in one swift movement.

Later, people had said that she'd still been screaming when the police and paramedics arrived. That she'd just stood there and wailed until they dragged her away, fighting to make her leave. She didn't remember.

All she could remember was the sight of her mother's body, shrouded in a pool of blood from her ripped wrists. She'd lain there, eyes staring blankly at Dahlia with a shard of glass in one limp hand and the rest of the photo clutched to her chest. The rest of the photo was the part from which her parents smiled at the camera without a care, her father's right arm disappearing into the space on the photo where his daughter had once been.

On the 19th of May ten years ago, Dahlia's mother commited suicide, unable to face her husband's birthday when he was unable to be there with her.

* * *

><p>Mahad was sitting on one of the armchairs in the living room, stroking Dahlia's back cautiously as she spoke in juddering, monotonous words. He had known that Dahlia had no parents - but he hadn't realised her mother had killed herself. It was a terrible thing for a ten year old to have to see; her own mother's mutilated corpse. From what Dahlia had described, the cuts to her arms hadn't been neat and clean. Her mother had hacked at her arms with the glass, right down to the bone.<p>

He shuddered and pulled her closer to him. She was sat sideways on his lap, curled against his chest with her head resting on his shoulder. She'd been quiet for a while and he'd been reluctant to say anything. Then, she spoke again, whispering so softly he barely caught what she said.

"You know, they were good friends, my dad and your dad." He frowned and she continued, "Marcus' dad got killed by the sphere for spreading the truth about what they were doing, for telling people about their cruelty and saying they should join the rebellion. My dad was there when Marcus found out. Something snapped, i think. For the next few years after that, he was unstoppable. He stole the hyperion around then, i think. His voice started getting louder and louder within the resistance as he strove harder to bring down the sphere."

"You speak as if you know a lot about him."

Dahlia hesitated, stroking her hand down his bicep as she considered her reply. The sky was darkening outside, but she could still see the hunger rampant on Mahad's face. The desperate desire to know more about the father he barely remembered. That she remembered only through vague, warped recollections. But he deserved to know what she did, even if it was only a tiny amount. He deserved to know something about his father.

"Well, as i said, him and my Dad were good friends. The hyperion was a little bit temperamental - it had been a prototype after all. After Marcus first stole it, my dad was the one who went over it with him; figuring out how it worked. My dad was always good with engines. I guess they bonded over that. My dad didn't talk about him much, but i knew they were close. He said that Marcus went a little crazy after his dad's death. He'd always been reserved, but when his dad got killed...he acted like everything was fine. He was louder in conversations about future missions, planned harder, hit the sphere harder. But he wasn't okay, Mahad. He wouldn't talk about himself. He pushed everyone away. Then he met your mum."

"How did they meet?" He was still watching her intently, drinking in her words like he was dying of thirst. What she would give to not love him so much. For the thought of how he might abandon her to not hurt this badly. What would she say to him about the baby? More importantly, what would _he_ say? He wanted to know about his dad, but what he needed to know was that he was going to be a dad.

"Mila was on a mission, i think. She saved him, for one reason or another. Got him out of a sticky situation aboard the hyperion. They wound up stuck on Babylonia for a few days and they just...grew together. He showed her how cruel the sphere was and how she didn't need them to be important, that they weren't her real family. She gave him something to care about again. Before her he'd been blindly striking out at the sphere in revenge. With her he found a purpose. You were born not long after and he just got even more strength of mind."

Her mouth was dry as sandpaper from all the talking, but she licked her lips and continued. " They were living on Angkor then. Most of the resistance were, it was our principal base at the time. The only memories i have personally of them are from my dad's birthdays. Every year without fail, your parents would show up with some of Mila's cooking. Just that one day a year. I even remember you, sort of."

"Really? Wouldn't we have been too young?"

"No, not really. I'm three years older than you Mahad." She chuckled and winked at his disbelieving face. "yep, you'd better believe it. I'm an old granny me. I held you on my lap when you were a tiny baby."

She slid out of his lap, wobbled a second as her blood rushed to her head, then padded over to the cupboard. Her hands shivered over the photo albums, remembering them laying open upon the kitchen table, ten years ago...she clutched the books, white-knuckled and shaking. Forget that now. It doesn't matter anymore. She flicked through and found the pitcure she wanted, easing it out from the plastic pouch that held it in the book and flipping it around to show Mahad.

A four year old Dahlia sat upon the sofa within the very room they were now standing in, scowling petulantly. There was a baby sitting on her lap, gurgling and grinning toothlessly at the camera. To the left of the pair, a younger Mila smiled gently up at the man standing behind her, who in turn was returning her look of adoration, one hand upon Mila's shoulder and the other hand firmly grasped in his son's tiny hand. Two people whom Mahad presumed to be Dahlia's parents were on the other side of the children; Dahlia's mother was stroking her daughter's hair behind her ear with a tender smile and her husband had his arms wrapped around his wife's neck as he knelt behind the sofa, his cheek pressed to hers. He looked like he was whispering something in her ear, because Dahlia's mother was also biting her lip as if to hold back laughter and the man's face held a mischevious grin.

"So these are all our parents?" He took the photo from her as she perched on the side of the armchair, making his breathing hitch at how close she was. Silently, he wished that she'd sat back on his lap, but it was too soon to expect anything from her. He wished she had made some sort of reply to his confession of love, but truly he'd been avoiding her. He dreaded the possibility of her rejecting him, as she always used to when he made a move on her. Especially now he knew that she was older than him. No doubt she thought he was being a foolish kid, falling in love with the first person he ever slept with...

A thought occured that made his blood hammer in his ears, thudding through his chest and making him feel like him almost incandescent with rage. She was older than him...no doubt other people had been with her. Maybe...maybe he hadn't meant anything to her. Maybe he was just another notch on her bedpost. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing for her, which was why she hadn't made any effort to reply to his declaration of love. Who could it have been? His head ran through thousands of different possibilities, each less likely than the last. There were only a handful of people on the block who could be possible contenders. Then again...his mind ground to a halt. Wayan. The sly little bastard. Hadn't he been the one she'd run to that day when she was mistaken about Shannon? Hadn't he gone along with what she'd done? They'd seemed awfully close. If he hadn't had sex with her in the past, if he didn't have an interest in her, then why did he go along with her pretense so easily?

"...and he was going to make my dad your godfather, but he was afraid of the sphere finding out about their friendship and trying to harm dad, so-"

"Who was it?"

"Your godfather, you mean?" She was frowning, unaware of how unattentive he had been. Completely unaware of his internal disquiet.

"No. Who was your first?"

"What do you mean?"

"You _know _what i mean" he snarled, not angry at her, but livid at the possible faces that flashed through his mind, boiling with fury as he imagined them laughing at him, boasting that they had been the first to touch _his _Dahlia. The first to kiss her satin skin, the first to make her cry their name. He envied that man, the unknown person who her virginity belonged to. He wanted to rip their throat out, because Dahlia was _his, _he belonged to her so completely, so surely she was his too? He watched her stand and walk to the cupboard and stow the album away again, wiggling her hips tauntingly in her baggy trousers which gave nothing away. But he knew exactly what she looked like. He had spent hours of that night memorising her body, every bit of her from the smooth points of her slender fingers, down the alabastar lines of her stomach and pausing to stroke the pearly sheen of a scar down her side. He'd revelled in the sigh that had fallen from her lips as he touched her, knowing in that moment that she was his greatest weakness and his greatest strength. The only one in the world who could cause so much pain to him without doing anything at all. The sphere had stolen his mother, chased him into exile and he had not broken. But if they had only managed to capture this magnificent creature before him, he would have payed any price, done any number of evil deeds to ensure her safety. Nothing was too terrible, that it would outweigh the importance of her safety and happiness.

His beautiful rebel, his wonderful first love frowned at him, sticking her hands on her hips in a pose that only made him love her more. He craved her inner fire, so rare in other girls he'd met. Simpering girls like Astrid and Shannon were fine for a while, but Dahlia was something else entirely. She challenged him and infuriated him, then cared for him and cried for him. She bemused him with her quirky ways and hot temper.

"I don't see why its relevant now? Or any of your business?"

His feet carried him across the room to her unbidden, his hands grasping the tops of her arms as her back thudded against the wall. Her eyes were wide with an expression he didn't recognise as his breath fanned hot on her face.

"I need to know. Who was it?" Envy overtook his tone. "Was it Wayan? Or Djaq? Or Simon?" His eyes narrowed further. "Patruchi? Or even...no." Now, he looked positively revolted as he snarled "Cortes? I bet that slimy old perv would love to-"

_SMACK _Dahlia's hands shoved him off and hit him smartly across the face. He staggered back and raised his hand to his throbbing cheek, mouth opening and shutting speechlessly.

"You...hit me."

"YOU insulted me!"

"HOW?"

"By insinuating that i am a common slut like that shannon girl, sleeping around with half the crew-"

"She's not a-"

"She's a filthy whore. You think she gives a damn about anyone but herself? She's all over you like a rash - You haven't heard the things she says to me when your back is turned-"

"Yeah, i haven't because i'm not a frickin' psychic!" He raised his hands in exasperation and she wagged a finger in his face threateningly.

"Oh, you're not a lot of things Mahad and one of them is perceptive. You think any of the crew will go near me? Cortes brought me off the streets when i was languishing in the gutter, too depressed to carry on by myself, a runaway from the orphanage. Living on the _streets _Mahad. He's old enough to be my father and he's a good man. Wayan is like my older brother. Him and his sister were damn good to me. When i was still too afraid to live in this house after what happened, his sister took me in and gave me a bed. It's a two bedroom house and they were dirt poor, but she shared her bedroom with me, clothed me and fed me. She was an angel and he was my big, strong brother figure. My rock to cling to when everything went up shit creek. How _dare _you suggest that they would take advantage of me? How _dare _you when you were off living the dream in Babylonia back then, racing your little airbike while i tore myself to pieces in grief and they stitched me back together."

She was raving now, crying angry tears that blocked her eyes. Her nose was running too, yet somehow she was still strangely beautiful in all her messed up retributive glory.

" As for the crew members, they think i'm just 'one of the lads' or like their little sister. Patrucci tried to get with me, believe me he did. But i broke his nose when he tried to feel me up one time when he was drunk. I can't _believe _you would think that i'd sleep with that brainless, selfish little-!" She threw her hands in the air and walked to the door, folding her arms.

"Leave, Mahad. I'm tired of your 'holier than thou' attitude."

He winced and walked past her into the hall, where she opened the door and waved him through. _Just couldn't keep my bloody mouth shut. Just had to ask her didn't i? _He thought, groaning to himself and wishing he could just bang his head against a brick wall. _stupid, STUPID fool._

"Oh and by the way Mahad, you were my first." He whirled around as she slammed the door behind him. It reopened and she snarled around the corner, "AND you got me pregnant."

_BAM. _The door slammed again with a sense of finality as the shock begun to sink into Mahad's brain. _PREGNANT?_

* * *

><p>Maria stood in her bathroom and dabbed the finishing touches on her eye makeup, psyching herself up for the night ahead. She'd finally taken Dahlia's advice and asked the older man out for a drink tonight, nothing too fancy, but... She glanced at herself in the mirror, hoping she wasn't going too overboard. Despite her age, dating was a rather uncharted area for her. Oh, give her a five against one fight and she'd breeze through it victorious, but sitting down and making conversation with a man she really, <em>really <em>liked? Absolute disaster. True, she was no nun, but real relationships were pretty scarce for her. After all she'd been living her life so far in exile with a group of people whom she considered family. Dating any of those who were near to her in age - like Dominic, would feel like incest.

She shuddered. Gross, disturbing and so, SO SO SOOOO wrong.

Her eyes were rimmed in just the right amount of eyeliner to accentuate her eyes yet not make her look like a particularly rabid raccoon, her hair was down and tamed from its usually mess into something a little more calm, yet casual. Lipgloss? No, just a balm. The last thing he'd want would be for her to kiss her and him to end up covered in the stuff too. She giggled, picturing Wayan's lips a fetching shade of pink from her favourite gloss, his dark eyes glazed with adoration and lust as they stared deep into her soul...yeah. The pink lips really ruined the image.

She straightened the purple top she'd chosen, making sure there were no marks on the dark blue skinny jeans and slipped into her black heels. She could do this. It was just a drink at the bar. With a work colleague. Completely and utterly platonic. Yep, they were just friends. No pressure. If it led to more, that would be great. If it didn't, then that was an utter waste of her wearing a nice new lingerie set now wasn't it? She huffed and flicked her hair out of her eyes. Hell to it just being a drink between friends. She was decided. She, Maria Kamea Argent was going to walk out that door, meet Wayan downstairs in the hall and kiss the life out of him. Screw going to the pub. She'd much rather stay here and screw him. Smirking at her reflection, she turned to leave just as the phone rang. Swiping the phone off the hook, she almost dropped it into the toilet in the process, grabbing it last minute in the tips of her fingers.

"Hello?"

"MARIA!" the voice sobbed and wailed unintelligebly for a minute until Maria soothed the speaker enough to speak slowly and calmly. It was Dahlia.

"I told him ria! He's outside right now, he hasn't moved, he's just sitting on my driveway and i don't know what to do! He was shouting and we had a fight and-" Dahlia babbled on as Maria rushed through the bathroom and down the stairs to the hall where Wayan stood wearing a shirt, jeans and a nervous smile which dimmed when he saw Maria's scowl.

"Don't move a muscle. I am coming over there and kicking his arse and raining nine different shades of hell down upon him!" Maria hung up the phone, tossing it aside and tugging her coat on.

"I'm SO SO SORRY!" Wayan listened as she gabbled away, explaining that Dahlia needed her help urgently, her kidney was playing up. She was pulling her coat on back to front her noticed in absent amusement. Clearly, whatever it was was urgent. Because he was in no doubt that it had nothing to do with Dahlia's kidney, due to the fact that Dahlia herself had said to him that it gave her barely any trouble except the occasional twinge. But he didn't mind her lying too much when clearly it was so important. He'd grill her about it when she got back.

"So yeah, another time?" She added hopefully, craning her neck back to look up at him with those big brown eyes. She really was tiny. Maybe 5 foot 2? He absolutely dwarfed her, something his male ego loved.

"Of course, go. I can see its urgent." She grinned and threw herself upwards at him, flinging her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his before breaking away and blushing bright red around the corners of her face.

"Thank you SO much for understanding Wayan!" Looking down at her, he was swept up in an idea and defying any sort of reason, he grabbed her and lifted her up in his arms as she squealed with laughter. Their foreheads bumped together and he grinned, his arms beneath her backside as she hooked her legs around him. He leant in, squeezing her gently with his hands and pulling her as close as possible. She fell absolutely silent as his lips trailed around the side of her head, not quite touching her but taunting her with their presence. Wayan felt absolutely empowered as the woman in his arms shivered closer to him, her eyes closing as he whispered gently;

"Hurry back." Without any warning he deposited her sharply back on the floor and smiled all through her glare.

"What a fucking tease..."She muttered as she closed the front door behind her, unaware that he heard every word and chuckled gently at it before going to make himself a cup of coffee, determined to wait for her return.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Mahad was sat on Dahlia's doorstep, his back against her front door. <em>Thud. Thud. THUD. <em>His head allowed itself to fall back and hit the door with increasing force. He felt so stupid. Yet at the same time, he was on top of the world. He had a child. Well, not a child. More like a goooeeey mass of cells at this stage. But a child still. He'd been her first. The only man with the priveledge of having been with her. The only one she'd deemed fit enough to be her first. A childish, alpha male part of him wanted to fist pump and roar YESSSSS at the top of his lungs, but what good would that do him? His stupid, ignorant jealousy had made him lose her. They'd been talking about his father, but what about his son? Or even daughter? God, please let them look like their mother.

The rain hammered onto his skull and he smiled as he slipped half into unconsciousness where a brown eyed blonde girl smiled up at him, calling him daddy before morphing into a dishevelled little boy with blonde hair and ice blue eyes. His eyes. The little boy tugged at his sleeve, calling his name...

"MAHAD!" Maria's disgruntled, rain drenched face swam into his vision and he shook himself awake like a wet dog.

"HWHAT? Where? Who?" He blinked moisture out of his eyes and squinted through the flowing water that stung his eyes.

Sarcastically, Maria waved her hand around. "Dahlia's house." She indicated herself and pronounced her words slowly and deliberately. "MA-RI-A"

She stabbed a finger into his chest painfully. "Stupid Idiot." Standing, she dragged him with her and hammered on the door, which Dahlia opened. Dahlia widened her eyes and shook her head desperately at Maria, who pointedly ignored her. The trio reached the living room, bringing back awful memories for both Mahad and Dahlia which Maria was oblivious to.

"Sit DOWN." Maria snarled and they obeyed without question, afraid of Maria's bad mood. "I am cold. I am Wet. I am MEANT to be with Wayan right now, having a quiet drink or having extremely vigorous sex with him." Mahad choked, but Dahlia merely coughed, somewhat immunitised to Maria's occasionally blunt statements. She'd spent a lot of her time in hospital with Maria, who firmly believed in saying things as they were.

"Now. You two cretinous and moonstruck individuals are stopping me from having the time of my life - no offence Dahlia"

"None taken."

"Good. You are pregnant. Mahad now knows this. Will you please both just deal with your enormous feelings towards one another in a way that does NOT involve me?" She spread her arms, getting properly into her stride now.

"MAHAD" She snapped pointing at him. "Do you or do you not love Dahlia?"

"...yes, i do. But she never said-"

"Do you love him Dahlia?" Maria held a hand up to Mahad, waggling it in his face in a clear display that she would ignore anything he said. Dahlia squeezed her bottom lip between her teeth before nodding quickly. Maria's eyes narrowed.

"OKAY, okay...yes I do love him. Happy now?" Mahad launched himself at Dahlia in a suddenly display of affection as he drew her in towards him. Maria took it as her cue to leave.

"Very, Very Happy..." Was the last thing she heard from Mahad's lips.

Shutting the door quietly behind her, she sprinted through the rain, grumbling to herself but secretly pleased at how quickly and easily the situation had been diffused. They could work out the details between them. What they had really needed was to hear each other admit the truth. Now all the finer details could be sorted. By THEM. Not her. She loved Dahlia, but she needed to do this herself. Not use Maria as an agony aunt and fairy godmother all in one.

Maria snorted as hailstones started to fall, muttering to herself "Who do they think i am? Oprah?"

* * *

><p>In the house, Mahad explored Dahlia's mouth, rubbing his tongue against hers gently, echoing the movement of his fingers as they swirled across the heated skin of her inner thigh. He kept his touch light and gentle, not wanting to hurt her, or worse scare her with his sudden affection. Suddenly, he remembered Maria and sat up alert, relaxing when he realised she was long gone. Dahlia pulled at his arm impatiently from beneath him.<p>

"She left straight after you practically jumped on me silly. Now...tell me you love me again?" She squirmed under him with a shy smile, laughing as he leant down onto her again.

"I love you... i love you..." He trailed his kisses down her body everytime he said it and finally pressed a kiss onto her stomach, looking into her eyes as he did it. "I love you." He whispered softest of all, meaning both his beautiful Dahlia and his unborn child. He moved back up to be level with her face again, fingers brushing away the short spikes of her hair.

"Now...Where were we?" She shrieked in an uncharacteristically girlish way as his hands grasped her sides and pulled her up and onto his lap. "Oh. I remember." He grinned and claimed her lips once more, smirking into the kiss as her moan vibrated through him.

She was all his.

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><p><strong>Final AN Hope you enjoyed, Next chapter should be quite soon, i'm just waiting to hear about something important regarding next chapter. Stratocumulus knows lol. You probably all think i'm a prude for putting the rating to M for such minor things, but believe me, the next few chapters will not be minor in ANY way. We're talking probable sex and definite icky torture scenes...nasty but necessary, i promise it wont get too hardcore. Expect the story to be getting darker from here on in. The MaD will continue to occur, simply because i need something to lighten the mood. Like, a lot...**

**Looking back, this chapter is way, way longer than i intended...no wonder my hands are aching. You're probably all asleep by now, but press the Review button and i shall be extremely grateful. Once again, this is not spellchecked. I simply just don't have the time. SORRY! love you all really. Virtual Mila cookies for all xxx**


	9. everytime we touch

**A/N Yeah, yeah very cliche song to use for this chapter. Deal with it. I'm imagining the slow version, not the original one. You can find it on youtube here; just Type in "everytime we touch" and it should be the second one down. You can't miss it.  
><strong>**Also Maya Blue IS an actual colour. It's the closest colour to his eyes on the show, i think, after comparison. Yeah, i seriously compared shades of blue. I am that much of a detail freak.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Everytime we touch<strong>

_**'Cause everytime we touch, i feel the static  
><strong>__**and everytime we kiss i reach for the sky  
><strong>__**Can't you feel my hear beat slow?  
><strong>__**I can't let you go,  
><strong>__**I want you in my life...**_

_**Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky  
><strong>__**They wipe away tears that i cry.  
><strong>__**The good and the bad times, we've been through them all  
><strong>__**You make me rise when i fall.**_

_**Cause everytime we touch, i get this feeling  
><strong>__**and everytime we kiss i swear i could fly  
><strong>__**Can't you feel my heart beat fast?  
><strong>__**I want this to last  
><strong>__**Need you by my side...**_

**( Everytime we touch - Cascada )**

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><p>He was so tender and gentle to her. Kissing her feather soft with smooth hot lips and making the desire build slow and strong within her. Her nerve endings fired into action as the tips of his fingers slid over her skin, massaging her sides gently as his lips moved to her neck. His teeth grazed her pulse point and she let out a breathy gasp, opening her eyes to look at him.<p>

She'd always found his eyes captivating, but close up the true extent of their beauty was revealled. They were a beautiful Maya blue, sky blue almost. But now she was face to face with him she could see the light periwinkle swirls at the edges of his iris and how the colour flowed darker towards the centre of his eyes, turning a lustrous cobalt colour before becoming black. He remained silent, watching her study him with silent pride. She was stroking the side of his face with one hand unconsciously, caught deep in the depths of his eyes. Mahad didn't know what she was thinking, but he was content to just lay there with her in his arms for a while, looking into her eyes. It was sappy and he knew it, but tearing himself away from her enraptured gaze would be pure torture. He lay back and pulled her on top of him, delighting in how her smaller body felt against his. Her head dropped down onto his shoulder as she buried her face into his neck, feeling his heart throb relaxingly under her.

Dahlia smiled, inhaling deeply and catching the scent of Engine grease, sawdust, something that smelt suspisciously like bacon and a smokey, overpowering scent. She wrinkled her nose and giggled, stroking her hands up his chest and smirking when he shivered slightly under her touch. Nice to know her touching him had as much affect as when he touched her.

"W-What's so funny?" His voice trembled slightly as her nails scraped lower before moving back up again.

"Nothing. You smell of something unexpected."

"Oh? Ohhh" He was temporarily distracted from his question as she kissed the soft spot just below his ear, her breath tickling the skin as she moved down to his collarbone, ghosting her lips over the skin before attacking it gently as she subtly moved her hands down to his trousers. He sat up abruptly, catching her hand.

"I don't think we should do this." He was trying to look at her somberly, but it was ruined by the lust portrayed prominently across his features and the exhilerated spark in his eyes.

"Whyyy?" She crawled into his lap and frowned her best irritated frown, flicking her hair out of her eyes. "We just found out we love each other, most people would be jumping into bed straight away and spending a good long night fu-"

"-BECAUSE," He interrupted, "You are pregnant my love, as well as recovering from a serious injury. You're not meant to do anything strenuous or too physically active because it might negate your recovery and make you ill again."

She was silent now as he sighed, placing a hand on her stomach and rubbing his fingers in a gentle circle. "We're going to be parents Dahlia. You're in the middle of recovery, so this pregnancy is going to be risky as it is. I don't want to do anything that would risk making it harder for you, or something that would harm you or the baby. I love you...and i love this baby too, because its something good that we made together." He smiled and she returned it, allowing him to draw her into a hug.

"Lets not mess this up, yeah? There'll be plenty of time once you're better." She shook her head and drew back so that their noses and foreheads met, their lips barely an inch away.

"I understand Mahad. But i also trust you to be gentle. It doesn't have to be wild to be mind blowing. I just want to be with you, properly, before i'm too pregnant to want to do anything." She was smirking now, but he frowned.

"Hang on, but you can't be that far along, it wasn't that long ago-"

"It was a month, Mahad. Most women start showing the bump a little at around 3 months. Wow. Hadn't thought about me getting fat yet..." She trailed off, blanching. "God Mahad...There's so much to do! We need baby clothes, and we need to paint up a nursery and-" She stopped dead and looked around, getting up and seeing her surroundings for the first time in years.

The Wallpaper could do with replacing, everything was dust free but the paint on the ceiling had gotten grubby and was now almost grey instead of pristine white like it had been in her childhood. She crossed the room and looked beyond at the dining room, which again needed a good coat of paint and new windows too. The kitchen needed re-tiling - That crack in the tiles would be a danger to the baby when it started crawling. It might cut its little hands open. She decided the rest of the kitchen was okay, but the curtains needed changing because they were too old. Wandering through her house, she quickly realised how nothing had changed since her childhood. Mahad wrapped his hands around her as a single tear welled up in her eyes.

"You know...I never wanted to believe that my dad was never coming back. My mum accepted it. She said that missing in action was just as good as killed in action. But i'd convinced myself that if he died, i would have felt it. I was like his little shadow, all through my childhood. I always thought that if something happened to him, no matter where he was, that i would _know, _deep inside myself. When my mum died, my aunt came to live with me here. Used to tell me i should be bloody grateful that she was so charitable. That i would damn well do the housework myself since she was already being inconvenienced by having to look after me, ungrateful orphan that i was. I had to get away from her in the end. But i didn't want to run away and leave her in the house on her own. Because she was trying to change things. The house was mine by rights but i wasn't old enough to inherit, so she took ownership while i was too young. But she treated it like her own house. Thought my parents had 'bad taste' and tried to throw away all of their things while i was out at school. Everytime she did, i'd sneak out and get them back. Really infuriated her, that did. When she brought home pots of paint to redecorate the walls, i'd creep downstairs and hide them out in my dad's workshop. She didn't have a key into there and that really pissed her off"

Dahlia laughed and Mahad tighened his arms around her, upset at what she'd been made to go through, but proud of her initiative, even as a child.

"What happened after that?" She turned around to look at him and smirked.

"Well that's a long story..."

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><p><em><strong>5 Years ago<strong>_

Dahlia blew her hair out of her eyes and scowled into the mirror. Her hair was way too long now. She'd need to give it a good cut later. Slamming the top of her case shut, she looked around quickly to check she'd not left behind anything of great importance. The case was full of family photos and ornaments. If her aunt by any chance did make it back into the house, she would no doubt go into a rage and throw out anything of sentimental value. Oh and sell anything of monetary value. So Dahlia had gathered all of the family silver (what little there was) and her mother's jewellery. Her mother's wedding ring hang around her neck on a leather band, close to her heart. The engagement ring had been sold by her aunt for whisky money. It had been the more valuable ring, with its small but precious diamond. But the cool, golden wedding ring remained, not expensive enough to be of interest to her aunt at the time. Since her aunt had stolen and sold her mother's wedding ring, Dahlia had been thrown into an even deeper hatred for the woman. How could this woman be related to her dear, loving father? She was arrogant and snobbish, redfaced and drunken. What a waste of space.

She shoved the case under her bed, making sure it was locked and ready to go before shouldering her schoolbag and clumping down the stairs to the kitchen. Her aunt had cooked pancakes it seemed. The woman was trying so desperately hard not to seem suspiscious, but even if Dahlia didn't already know what she was planning she would have immediately guessed something was up from this display of care. Her aunt never bothered to do anything for her unless there was something to be gained from doing it. Or if she needed to put on a show for the social services.

"So, got anything good planned for the day?" Her aunt smiled over her coffee, still somehow managing to make a smile look menacing.

"Not really. Just school. I've got to stay late today to finish coursework." Her aunt's smile widened.

"Well, take your time dear. I'm not up to much today at all and i want to cook a nice roast dinner for us both for when you get back." The woman stood, still forcing that glazed, fake smile onto her face. "I'll see you later then. You'd better go or you'll be late."

"Yeah, i probably should." She wrapped her toast in a napkin and left, mumbling a goodbye as her thoughts cursed her aunt.

Her aunt didn't realise, but Dahlia had heard her on the phone the day before, plotting with her crony from a few streets away, Laurie O'brien. She was planning on going out to get the paint and redecorating the house herself while Dahlia was out at school that day. She'd laughed and celebrated at finally being able to get rid off all that rubbish her sister in law kept lying around. She'd gloated that she was going to take an axe to those ghastly old armchairs and burn the things out in the back garden. It would be no good trying to sell the things or take them to the dump, because 'the brat' would only bring them back.

Knowing her aunt was watching her, Dahlia calmly rounded the corner then broke out into a run when she knew her aunt could no longer see her. Flinging herself over a wall, she dashed through the back gardens of the houses on her street until she was in the house next to her own. Lila, her best friend, was crouched there waiting.

"Took ya time. I got some more planks" The girl patted the wooden boards she had with her and Dahlia clapped her on the shoulder excitedly.

"Excellent work my devious friend" They winked and bumped fists, giggling. Best friends since they were eight, Dahlia was going to miss her friend when she left. Lila had been amasing. After her father's disappearance, Dahlia had had to go and find children of her own age to spend time with. Before then, Lila had only been a passing acquaintance, a shy dark haired girl who burst into noisy chatter once you took the time to get to know her.

Lila bobbed her head above the fence when there was a slam from nearby. "She's left the house, go go GO!" They clambered over the fence, dragging the wood with them and ran to the back door of the house, which Dahlia unlocked quickly.

"I'll grab the hammer and nails, you go get started on the locks." Dahlia nodded and her friend raced to get the tools as she squatted down near the door. She only wished she could see her aunt's face when she came home and realised the locks had been changed. And that the windows had been boarded up. From the inside, of course. They couldn't do it on the outside, because then her aunt could take off the boards.

A frenzied hammering started in the front room just as someone knocked on the door. She continued to concentrate on her task as the Daniel, Josh, Caleb, Jayla, Sophia and Tara all traipsed into the house. Lila's voice drifted through from the hall to Dahlia.

"Now, everyone work together in twos. One person to hold the board flat horziontal across the window, the other to nail it down. We want the whole window convered up. No gaps that could give the toad any sort of leverage to get in. If theres a gap, however small she could work a crowbar or something in there and lever the boards off on by one. So NO GAPS. One team to each window, GO GO GOOOOO!"

Dahlia snorted at her friend's antics. Every since learning about the troll's plans, Lila had been treating this like a military operation, recruiting extra people from their class into helping out. _Snick. _The old lock dropped to the floor, removed fully from the wood. Dahlia quickly began installing the new lock, the one her father had spent weeks designing with her.

Lockmaking was another pet project of his. It was like an amusing little puzzle to him. He'd try to make the most difficult lock he could and give it to her to see if she could break it, then he would get her to make a lock and see if he could break it. Over a few weeks of trying different types of locks and discovering loads of different methods to trick people, he finally came up with an impressively simple yet difficult lock that was very difficult to pick or break. He'd given it to the town locksmith and the poor guy had failed to open it. So she'd dug up the plans and spent all of last night piecing together a copy of the original so that she had one for the front door and one for the back door of the house.

Half an hour later she was done with the first lock and moved her tools out to the front door to start on the one that needed installing there. She needed to work faster. The others had made good progress, Tara and Sophie were working on the last downstairs window whilst the others boarded up the few upstairs windows under Lila's beady eye. There was no telling how soon it would be until her aunt arrived back. Probably not that long. Twenty minutes maybe? She'd have to work faster on this second lock.

Ten minutes went by and Dahlia was starting to sweat and swear at the air. It would seem that her father had designed the lock on the front door. It wasn't budging at all from its place on the door. There was a noise behind her and Daniel was there. He'd been a big help too, getting her the materials to make the locks.

"Umm...Dahlia?"

"What is it Dan? I've got no time! No. Fucking. Time. Stupid. Bloody. EURGH!" She flung her screwdriver at the wall and growled, turning to glare at him. The first odd thing about him was that he was holding a door. The second, stranger thing was that the door had a lock installed in it. HER lock.

"Well...You know my dad's the village locksmith, right? When you showed me the blueprint yesterday i thought it might be faster if i made one, then put it into a different door. Then, instead of having to pry out the old lock we could just remove your front door from its hinges and stick this one on instead. Its got rubber seals we can put around the edges, see? so your aunt can't try to take this one off its hinges, because your old one's hinges are exposed. " He blushed. "I just thought it would be idea 'cause we're pushed for time and all-"

" IT'S AMAZING! " she jumped up to hug him thankfully before realising there was a large square lump of door in her way and settled for just smiling at him happily. He turned beetroot and hastily leant the door against the wall.

"We need to be quick though. We have maybe 15 minutes before crunch time." She nodded and leant down to start unscrewing the bottom hinge as he reached for the top one. They work silently and swiftly, taking the door off the hinge within minutes. Then came the problem of installing the new door. Dan lifted it up and held it in place with a grunt as she tightened the screws.

"Hurry...UP."

"I'm trying! Get someone else to come help you!"

"I can manage on my own!" He panted, sagging under the sustained weight before Lila thudded down the stairs and slid under his arms to help take some of the weight. Kneeling and gripping the bottom of the door, Lila turned to make a smart comment about men and their macho 'I'm so strong' attitudes and found herself face to crotch with Daniel and did something completely unexpected. She blushed.

"Oh for the love of God, LILA! Get your face off of his umm...Yeah, I didn't mean it to sound that way."

Thankfully, Dahlia's blunder broke the awkwardness between Daniel and Lila, who turned back to the job at hand. Behind them, the others said their goodbyes and left. They'd already boarded up all the windows and knew it was only a matter of minutes before Dahlia's aunt got home and all hell broke loose. Everyone should have been out of her by now.

Dahlia's hands were drenched with sweat as she sped up, the screwdriver sliding about in her hand as she tightened the screws. With a sigh, she finished the last one just as Daniels hand clapped over their mouths. He was looking through the spyhole on the door and nodded outside mouthing "she's back" at them. He indicated the seals that they hadn't managed to put over the hinges.

"These need to be put on from the outside if they're going to work." He hissed at them. Lila and Dahlia shared a look of panic before Lila nodded to Dahlia.

"We'll sort it, don't worry Dahlia. She won't have the tools to take it off its hinges with her, so when she leaves to go get help with the lock me and dan will sneak out here and put the seals on. Go grab the case and your bag."

The doorknob rattled as her aunt tried her key and found it to be useless. Dahlia practically flew up the stairs, bringing back down the case and her rucksack of clothes. Daniel glanced out of the spy hole and gave a thumbs up. Her aunt was still around the front of the house. The trio ran through the hall and out the back door, locking the door behind them and crouching behind the bush as Dahlia's aunt suddenly appeared from around the corner of the house to try and get in through the back door. As soon as it was safe, they moved again, Dan jumping over the fence, taking the case from Lila then helping both girls back over and into Lila's back garden. Lila hugged Dahlia hard for a few seconds, both girls grieving inside.

"You better come back. " Lila warned, smiling through the tears as she wagged her finger.

"You bet i will. I'm sixteen in five months. As soon as that happens i'm old enough to be considered and adult, so i can inherit and throw her out of the house. Make sure she doesn't get in."

"I don't get why you don't just stay in the house, we could bring you food and stuff." Dan mumbled, scratching his head.

"I want to get out there though. Maybe earn some money. If i say i'm older than i am, maybe i could get a job. I could always do some work on bikes. If not, i can manage sleeping rough for a few months. I just need to be away from here a while."

"But you ARE coming back." Lila smiled. "Or i'll find you and kill you myself. I swear on all that is holy, i will come for you." Dahlia laughed and hugged her one last time before leaving.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She winked, threw the bag over her shoulder and turned to the clear blue sky, hearing the angry, cursing roars of her aunt from just over the fence. Today was a good day.

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><p>Mahad laughed appreciatively at her story. Who knew that Dahlia could be so sneaky? She really was much more rebellious than he'd thought. They were in her bedroom now, curled up on the bed together now that she'd finished telling her story. In the darkness of the night, her eyes reflected the dim moonlight as she yawned and stretched.<p>

"Mahad..." She whispered sleepily, "what do we call our child? Which do you want, a boy or a girl? We'll need to redecorate the house." He frowned, bending his neck so he could look at her better.

"But i thought...from what you've just been telling me, i thought you hated the idea of redecorating this place, changing it." She smiled bitterly and reached up to trace her hands over his cheekbones.

"I did. I thought that changing the way the house looked, well, it felt like betrayal. I've always held onto the hope that my father would be found and that when he came home, he'd get a nasty surprise if he came back and found his home wasn't the same, was different from how it used to be. But...he's been gone for ten years, Mahad. I can't hold onto my past forever. This is my house now. OUR house."

"Oh...of course. I'll have to move in. OH NO!" His face was full of dread. "we've got to tell my mum. She's going to go absolutely insane!"

* * *

><p>"OOOOOH DAHLIA!" Mila's face was enchanted with pure happiness "I'm so pleased for you both! LENA! GET DOWN HERE! YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN AUNT!" She turned back to her son, beaming. It was the next day and she'd just been told the news.<p>

"So...you're not mad?" Mahad raised his eyes to look at her hopefully

"Pshhh, NO! I was pregnant with you at 17 Mahad, Dahlia is twenty. So i'm hardly one to be judging now am i?"

Lena came cannonning into the room at high speed, confusion written all over her face. Dahlia shrugged and confirmed what Mila had said before catching Lena as the girl ran over to hug her before punching her older brother's arm.

"HEY! What was that for?" He moaned, rubbing the sore spot as Lena giggled.

"Being stupid. Although i'm kind of excited." She brightened up, "Have you told anyone else? Can i go and tell Cheng? I want to use his computer, then i can tell Lee and-"

"We've only told you two, but we're headed over to the ship to tell the others. You can come with if you like?" Dahlia smiled at the girls obvious crush on Lee, who was much older and probably completely oblivious.

"Yeah cool! Bye mum!" Lena dragged the young couple to the door, linking arms with Dahlia and shooing Mahad away quickly. He gave her a reproachful look, but walked a bit further away to give the girls some privacy.

"I can't wait to see Shannon's face." whispered Lena, grinning at Dahlia. "She's doing some work today, so she'll be there when you announce it. She's going to be sooo gutted that-"

"Wait, wait. You know about shannon being a...well a..."

"snooty bitch?" Lena supplied helpfully

"Precisely. But don't swear."

"But i'm thirteen in two weeks. I'm not THAT young." Lena rolled her eyes and Dahlia chuckled.

"No. Sometimes i think you're maturer than your brother you know. But still not Mature enough to catch Lee's eye, are you?" Lena's eyes bulged in horror

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious, Lena. Don't worry too much. He's only fifteen, or maybe sixteen. I forget. Its not too big an age gap-"

"But it seems enormous when you're my age." Lena stated gloomily and Dahlia had to agree. In school, even one years age difference seemed like a big deal, but as soon as you were an adult it was perfectly acceptable to date someone with a five, maybe even a ten year age gap between you and them. A little strange, but a fact nevertheless.

Still, what Lena's said had put the image of Shannon's absolutely devastated face in her head. She'd been dreading telling the crew about her baby news, but now she could barely contain herself. Maria had promised to be there too for morale support and together they could watch Shannon's dreams of stealing Mahad crumble. Oh, if only she'd brought a camera...

"What i don't get is," she muttered, "How do you know that Shannon's not as nice as everyone else thinks she is?"

Lena shrugged. "She doesn't usually put up the pretence as much with me and Cheng around. Thinks we're too young and dumb to figure her out. Her mistake."

The Saint Nazaire loomed in the distance and Mahad sidled back over, knowing better than to ask what their "girl talk" had been about. Dahlia took in a deep breath. Time to face the music.

* * *

><p><em>3217 km away...<em>

Sasha ground her teeth in frustration as she stared down upon where Cam lay chained to a pipe on the wall. She'd kept him here for a few days now and it seemed she'd got away with the kidnap. She'd flown him to the ruins of the deserted compound she'd been brought up in and dumped him there before returning to get rid of his guards. In the end, she'd decided to not to kill them, but to take them to two different, mildly populated blocks and left them with a bit of money, some food and water and none of their memories. She couldn't afford them running off to inform somebody, so she did her best to reach into their heads and extract the memories in the cleanest possible ways, leaving nothing in their place. They knew a few basic things still; like how to talk and what their first names were. But everything else had had to go. Horrible as destroying their identities was, killing them would have plagued her conscience more.

Cam stirred and looked vaguely in her direction, snarling animalisticly.

"You're there aren't you? Standing there all invisible and watching me. Stupid bitch" He spat his words out hoarsely through a parched throat. "So this is your plan, hmm? To starve me out. Kill me slowly. Well, i aint tellin' you nothin'."

She took a step closer and crouched just out of his reach before replying. "I have no intentions of killing you. In fact, despite what your little scientists did to me, i don't want to hurt you. I do not hate you. I hate what you did. If you had left things at that, you could be at home right now sipping champagne and eating caviar. Whatever floats your boat."

She surged forwards and gripped his chin, dragging him up by the neck until he dangled just off the floor, unable to resist because of his shackled hands. "But you HAD to go after my family, didn't you? You pushed me too far." She shoved him backwards against the wall and he crumpled to the floor as she flickered and became visible again.

"Maybe in another life i could have been a pacifist," She continued, pacing out of his reach as he hacked and coughed up lungfuls of air into his starved lungs. " But people just push and push and PUSH at you until you do things you don't want to do. Until you're so mad with grief and hurt you cling to what you have and you kill anything that comes close."

She stopped and turned to face him again. The pair surveyed each other from opposite sides of the room like cats in an alleyway, preparing to fight. Looking at them, you could almost picture a wild west shoot off, except wildly unfair. The woman stood tall and unhindered while he was splayed across the floor, arms wide apart and chained above him. Suddenly the scales tipped and her face turned bright and friendly, a malicious tint in her eyes.

"Would you like to see something, Cam? Would you like to _know _something, Cam? You see, I've seen hundreds, i'd even dare to say _thousands _die of thirst. You say your company founded the sphere. How thoughtful, how _useful _of you all to give him an ocean. Completely necessary to waste thousands of gallons of cool, quenching, soft chilled water. Wouldn't it just be great if you had all that water now? Swirling down your throat, soothing the burning dryness and-"

"Stop" He moaned. She continued.

"Pity there's no water here to save you now. If only you'd used that ocean in a more useful way, maybe there'd be less people dying all over the world, maybe i'd be more inclined to let you go. Who knows, maybe if you start telling me about this top secret company of yours, i might give you some water." She smiled sharkishly and pulled out a bottle of water. His eyes followed it eagerly, then his face twisted into a snarl.

"Go to Hell. I'm not telling you anything." She shrugged, opened the top of the bottle and turned it over quickly, poring every precious drop into the dirt as he cried out in horror, shaking. The water turned the dirt into slushy mud at her feet. She threw the empty bottle at him with a smack and he scraped it up, desperately trying to coax any moisture that might still remain in there. There was none. The bottle slid through his fingers to the ground.

"You know, you're coping worse than i thought you would. Most people living out on the fringes, the normal people, are used to making do with very little water. Some of them can go for almost a week without water. They're like fricking camels. You however pretty boy are not doing so good. Say...could it be because you've NEVER gone without water?" Sasha smiled bitterly. "No resistance whatsoever."

"Why would i need to grovel for water like the common folk. My father has whole lakes, hundreds of swimming pools full of-"

"Not doing you much good now though are they?"

"Not doing much good at interrogation, are you?" he jiibed back and she smiled.

"Oh what, you want more pain? Did you ever see the reports of the guards i killed on my way out of this hell hole." She gestured around her and Cam shook his head reluctantly, filled with a morbid curiosity.

"What did you do to them?" She leant forward and touched her hand to his head.

"The first one, i just turned incorporeal, reached into his head and ripped his brain out." She smirked at his disgusted face. "There were at least six that i can remember, but others i forget. One of them, i stabbed my hand straight through his chest. He was a guardian. I killed him in two seconds flat." Cam was starting to look more and more afraid.

"I also killed my best friend." She whispered, looking at her hands. "She was like me too. It was a mercy killing. Because of what you bastards did." She felt anger begin to roll over her in cold waves, gnawing at her restraint. Why didn't she just torture this guy? It wasn't like he didn't deserve it! He'd obviously got some sort of training, because he resisted her attempts to get inside his head. Or maybe he was just damn stubborn.

"I'm glad you did, or there'd be two psychopathic freaks like you around the place..." Her heart stopped, then thudded louder and louder inside her chest, incenting her into a deeper and deeper, rolling pit of seething hatred. He was smiling at her now, spouting more nonsense about how it had been for the greater good. He thought he was getting at her, trying to make her break down in grief. Well, he didn't know her at all. All at once Sasha was calm, her face an emotionless mask and he faltered.

She smiled. He smiled back too. She broke all the fingers on his left hand one by one. He screamed.

* * *

><p><em>3217km away<em>

The crew had finally gathered on the deck, lounging around the place against pipes and railings, some of them having a surreptitious roll-up while they waited for everyone to arrive. Cortes Stormed into the scene and cigarettes were hastily stubbed out or discarded over the railings and into the abyss of open air. Shannon watched Dahlia cautiously, wary of the fact that the woman looked so happy. If Dahlia was happy, that meant something had happened between her and Mahad. If something had happened between them...well, suffice to say, Shannon would not be pleased.

"Well, i'm glad you're all here. Mahad and i have some news." Dahlia nudge mahad with her hip, smiling up at him encouragingly.

"Errrr yep erm." Mahad eyed Cortes, wondering just how dead he was going to be when the brusque scottish guy found out he'd got his surrogate daughter pregnant. Forget telling his mother, this was way more difficult.

"Erm...yeah, we have some news..." His brain failed to find a way out, or at least a better, gentler way of putting.

"Well, what happened was-"

"Spit it out Mahad." Cortes shook his head in annoyance and Mahad sighed, shrugging.

"Okay...Dahlia's pregnant." Silence prevailed. Mahad raised his fist added hesitantly "Woohoo...?"

"COME 'ERE YOU!" Mahad darted behind Dahlia and backed away from the apoplectic Cortes, who had paused only a second to drink in the words before launching himself at his young crewman.

Dahlia calmly moved out from in front of Mahad and Cortes went steaming past, grabbing the younger man by the scruff of his neck and dragging him off to his office for a "chat". Dahlia ran her hands through her hair fretfully as Maria aproached and clapped her friend on the back cheerily

"You know, I think he took it well..." Dahlia looked up hopefully into Maria's deep brown eyes. She shrugged. "Well Mahad isn't dead yet is he?"

As Wayan approached, all Dahlia could think of was how Maria had used the word YET when talking about Mahad's lack of dying. Not a good sign, surely? Wayan was frowning as he came over and grabbed her wrist urgently.

"Is he going to support you Dahlia? Are you happy? Because i'll support you if he's going to run out on you and you can always get help from me. I mean," He paused thoughtfully, "I don't know much about babies, but i'll learn! If thats what you want, but if you don't want the baby i'll take you to the doctors and help you through it and-"

Maria placed a hand of Wayan's mouth. "Wayan, you're a wonderful and kind person. But you're babbling." He winced and she winked. "But it's what i like about you. Dahlia's already told me about the baby, she's already made her decision and i already told her she can come to us if she needs help. Anytime." She directed the last word to Dahlia who was smiling at her almost older brother and closest friend.

"You like my babbling?" Wayan had the dopiest look possible on his face as he smiled down at her friend, who replied.

"Always." Maria tiptoed her fingertips up his chest, "But it's not. My. Favourite. Thing." Her fingers tapped the tip of his nose and he leaned down to kiss her wearing such an enormous expression of elated happiness it made Dahlia want to smile too. As soon as he'd left, Dahlia tugged on her friends sleeve frantically.

"Oh my GOD! When did that" she indicated wayan and Maria generallly, "Happen? Did i miss something important?"

Maria snickered, "It happened last night...SEVERAL times." Dahlia rolled her eyes at the obvious euphemism but kept listening. "I DID tell you that i had been interrupted by you two last night. You may have actually done me a favour though. I was meant to go out for a friendly drink with him, but after you interrupting and being all "i love you so much" to each other i just couldn't bare to get back home and just act friendly to him."

"So what happened?" Dahlia asked eagerly, happy for Wayan to finally be in a relationship with someone nice like Maria.

"What, you want details? WEEEELLLLL, first I-"

"What ewwww, no! Wayan's like my brother! That's just creepy. I mean, how did he respond."

"Well, when i first flew in the door all bedraggled and jumped his sexy bones, he didn't really have much time to say anything."

Both women laughed but Maria couldn't help but notice Dahlia eyeing the door to Cortes' office.

"Don't worry so much Dahlia. I'm sure Cortes hasn't brutalised him much. But ANYWAY" Maria continued hastily at Dahlia's petrified face. "The BIG question is...how was it with you?"

"Oh we just talked awhile about my past and the baby and-"

"What...no sex?"

Dahlia snorted and flung herself against the wall, sliding into a sitting position. "Not for my lack of trying, believe me. He wanted to as well, i could tell. But he wouldn't because he doesn't want to hurt me or the baby."

"But its not even a baby yet! Its a miniscule blob floating around in your stomach. As long as you aren't like wild animals he's not going to do that much damage now is he? Plus, they did some freaky study on pregnant women and turns out it can actually be beneficial to the baby." Dahlia perked up at this, so Maria fumbled around for the magazine rolled up in her back pocket and ripped out the article.

"My advice is, tonight when you're back home, go up to him, show him the damn bit of paper and ask him to please just put you both out of your misery."

Maria laughed, but was thrown by the unsure look Dahlia had on her face. An independent person, she expected Dahlia to have no problems with carrying out the plan. However, her newfound friend looked a little insecure about propositioning Mahad. Why would that be...OH MY!

"You were a _Virgin _before Mahad?" She hissed, checking there was noone around first. Dahlia blushed and nodded, making Maria gape. "Wow. That makes sense. So you're nervous yeah? About taking the lead, being a little bit sexy? It's nothing too hard, trust me. You'd be surprised how much a nice pair of unmentionables works to give you confidence..." Dahlia was biting her lips again and Maria's jaw dropped further.

"Answer me straight Dahlia. Do you own lingerie?" Dahlia gave up, grabbed her friend (who was talking WAY too loud) and ran off the boat into an alleyway where she shoved her against the wall.

"NO. I don't. I was always a tomboy anyway," She gestured to the ship, "There's only two other women on the boat, one of them's married with kids and the other one is SHANNON. I don't think i'll be having girly chat with her anytime soon. I'm friends with guys, mainly. All except you. You're my first girl friend in a while...I don't know. I grew up without my mum there so buying clothes and fashion and looking pretty was never really discussed with me that much. I had friends when i was a young teenager, but what i really needed was someone older's advice." Dahlia looked so gutted that Maria immediately decided upon a course of action. Sasha had always said it was never a good thing to openly reveal the extent of her powers to others, but this was an emergency of epic proportions. Tugging Dahlia away, she walked to the edge of the block quickly.

"RIGHT. We are going shopping. Don't argue!" She waved a finger at Dahlia's protests "I'll listen to none of it!"

"I've got no money on me!" Maria snorted

"Who the hell said we're paying for any of it? I'm off work today, i was only at the ship 'cause you needed me and there was the possibility of a quick little session with Wayan in one of the store cupboards. God that man is so-"

"Stop. I don't think i want to know what comes next."

Maria just laughed and picked Dahlia up, dropping off the block into oblivion before heading for the nearest sphere populated block. Time for a SERIOUS shopping spree.

* * *

><p><em>3217 km away<em>

Sasha flew away from her guilt as quickly as possible, the tears that flowed from her eyes disappearing into the slipstream of air she created. What had she done. Oh GOD, oh please. She hadn't wanted to. She really hadn't. But when he started talking about those she loved, she'd lost some of her control. She'd hurt him and with the increasing pain his mental barriers had fallen and she'd stumbled inside. She'd felt everything she did to him through a first person perspective.

_A group of people around a table on which was emblazoned a strange image, filled with half recognised symbols, but hide it, hide it Sasha was inside, she'll see! __**Pain as Sasha broke his other hand, searing through and eating at him, gnawing, biting, clawing. **__The table was round, each chair within a circle of darkness, no faces but they knew who each other were...but DON'T THINK THAT, she can hear you! STOP STOP STOP! An image of somewhere else now, his home. Swimming in the pool outdoors, cool water. Distract himself with other memories so she couldn't see that memory of that room and HE WAS THINKING OF IT AGAIN. POOL! cool water, swimming through icy water. There was a shape growing under the water and he frowned at it until he realised it was the room again. She was forcing him to think about it. But he fought back hard, struggling against her; __**His cheeks blossomed rosey petals of discomfort as she backhanded him harshly, weakened him **__She was inside completely now, watching through him, behind his eyes as the meeting unfolded. Talking about the sphere. A man who called himself 'moriarty'. But not his real name. Codename. Sherlock holmes character. He was the only man who the council didn't know the identity of. The leader. He wasn't even in the room. They'd never met him. Videolinks...__**Sasha's nose bled as her head was shoved back- NO his head was shoved back. He was not Sasha, Sasha was the intruder, not wanted here! **__His strength returned and he shoved her away mentally, but she was still on the fringes of his mind, still listening and waiting. Still in that meeting room_

_"The council is now in session. A disembodied voice announced from the speakers in the room. Moriarty. Fake name. Communication link. "I understand you have something to tell us Mr Vitagliano."_

_I stood up. Told them about the strange seijins. They already knew about them. Results of a strange radiation from the earth's exposed core. When we broke up the earth- When those scientists did i mean, stupid stupid she's listening! The Earth's core is now exposed. Easier for the radiation to reach humans. Does strange things to their cells. Now there's ghost's turning up all over the place too - strange energy forms. Sentient radiation...quiet! she can hear you. Push her out NOW she's hearing too much, she'll figure it out, she'll know what we did, need to get her out. She must LEAVE._

He'd thrown her out of his mind eventually, but not before babbling a little more about the council and allowing the pain to seep through their mental link. When she'd finally left his mind, it was becuase he fell unconscious, but wasn't dreaming. It was only then that she could see him from the outside. Only then that she could see what she'd done to him.

Little rivers of blood made their course down his body. His legs and all of his fingers were broken. She remembered the fingers...but when had she broken his legs. Numbly, she realised she hadn't even known that she'd been harming him. So focused on her attempts to gain any possible scrap of information, she'd disregarded what she was doing. She remembered when she'd broken his legs now. She'd ripped out on of the nearby pipes and...and. There'd been a dull thump and a high pitch wail. She'd performed an excellent golf swing aimed at his legs. But it hadn't stopped there. There was so much to choose from. Human beings were so fleshy and vulnerable when you really got down to it. She'd sliced open his side, thin and neat. A surgeons cut. Followed by another. Then there was ten. Then fifteen, twenty. The drops of blood had appeared on his chest had appeared on his chest like paint on a canvas and now she was the artist, a macabre Da Vinci painting in swirling underscored lines of blood.

She jolted into the present and dry retched as she flew, holding back the vomit but unable to hold back the horror at what she'd done. But there was something worse on her mind. The earth breaking up...nobody she knew had mentionned knowing why it had done that. Now that she thought about it, she never heard about the sphere or anyone trying to find out why it happened. For people as nosy and interfering as the sphere, that was a strange move. Why was there no explanation given? Did they seriously believe it had just happened by a fluke? That it was some weird effect of global warming? Something must have caused it, surely?

Or did some_one _cause it? He'd said "when we broke up the Earth". But who was 'We'? He'd revealled no names, no faces except that codename and that voice. Moriarty. A memory in the back of her head clamoured for attention. Moriarty, moriarty. Why was that familiar...Of course. He'd said it himself and she'd read the books after all. They were classics, even now. The character was Sherlock Holmes' genius nemesis, head of a crime syndicate. It made perfect sense. But there were so many gaps. Why would someone want to split up the earth? She shook her head, feeling violently sick to her core not just at the evil she had just performed, but at the evil others inflicted upon so many. Millions, billions had died when the Earth shattered. They'd freefalled through what had once been ground and now was air. So many dead. Why would someone do that on _purpose?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN We're edging closer and closer to the main storyline. Long chapter i know, but i just needed to get it out. Now it's 11.15 at night and i've been typing for hours. Read, review, throw it in a bin, i don't care. I'm knackered. Night all. **


	10. Popular

**A/N Strange fact about this song, but there used to be a video on youtube of Diwan singing the start of this, the person dubbed the song over videos of Diwan. The funny part of it is that its sung in a really high girly voice. With giggling. I think the video's gone now, the person closed their account, so they were deleted. A shame really, she also did dubs of Oslo as foamy the squirrel. Just imagine him saying "I will kill you all...nothing you can do about it." in a high pitch squirrel voice. Comedy gold.**

**CREDITS: The references to Marcus and Mila's past are almost all references to Stratocumulus' story **_**Escaping prophecies. **_**She owns. Like, literally. Except for the name **Devanté **which Spicemeisje will undoubtedly recognise. I apologise, but I won't be using it as the name of Dahlia and Mahad's child. There is a VERY good reason why. But I can't tell you at this point. I thought I'd use it in another way though, if you don't mind.**

**One final WARNING: In case you didn't get the hints before now, this chapter contains a Lemon. (For anyone that doesn't know the fanfic lingo too well, that means a sex scene.) Admittedly, not a very over the top one, but one none the less. We are in M territory people *cheer***

**Chapter Ten: Popular**

_**Whenever I see someone  
>Less fortunate than I<br>(And let's face it - who isn't  
>Less fortunate than I?)<br>My tender heart  
>Tends to start to bleed<br>And when someone needs a makeover  
>I simply have to take over<br>I know, **_**I know...**_** EXACTLY what they need  
>And even in your case..<br>Though it's the toughest case I've yet to face  
>Don't worry - I'm determined to succeed<br>Follow my lead  
>And yes, indeed<br>You will be:  
>Popular!<strong>_

**( Popular - Wicked the Musical )**

* * *

><p>"Right. Bags first." Maria hauled Dahlia along behind her, pounding through the shopping centre and grinning at people's mystified faces. Nobody could see them, but they could hear the girls' laughter all around them.<p>

"Stop, stop. I can't run anymore." Dahlia panted. Maria just ignored her and tugged her into the nearest shop. "Why are we getting bags first? Don't you get the bag to match the outfit, not the other way?"

"Yeah, but we're going to need to nick a bag first to put all our shopping in. But first." Maria wheeled around suddenly, eyebrow raised. "Describe your wardrobe to me."

"Clothy? Erm. I wear a lot of jeans and I don't know...mainly jeans and T-shirts if i'm not in my work stuff..." Dahlia tailed off, embarassed by the shocked look Maria was giving her.

"Right. I am building you up your own wardrobe of entirely FABULOUS clothing."

For the next few hours, Dahlia wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or just laugh at Maria's totally honest reactions to things. She couldn't count the number of times she'd held up an item of clothing that she thought looked nice and Maria had either sad a flat NO, or in extreme cases burnt the offending garment with her seijin powers. They'd got some really nice clothes for Dahlia, including five new skirts, seven various different tops, TWELVE dresses (She had no idea why she needed that many, although they were all stunning) and more accessories than she could count. She'd also been dragged into a cosmetics store and now had more different lotions and potions than was necessary. Now that the day was drawing to an end her feet were aching, but she did have to admit that these new shoes looked incredible. Even if they were ridiculously high.

"Stop bending your knees girl! Walk straight! Just walk normally!"

" I caaaan't" Dahlia wailed, tottering about and gripping Maria's shoulder firmly.

"They're only four inches, they're not THAT high. I've seen people wearing heels so high they're probably experiencing _vertigo_ from that height."

"But why do i have to wear these anyway?"

"One day you'll have to. For a wedding. Or a posh dinner. Or a funeral. So its good for you to practice so that upon that day you don't fall smack on your arse in public."

"I already have fallen on my arse in public!"

"Yeah but this public can't see you can they?" Dahlia stumbled again, scowling. She could pick most locks. She could rewire any motor, build an engine from scratch, shoot a moving target with her bow from fifty paces, but put her in a pair of slightly heeled shoes and suddenly she was like a newborn foal. All knees wobbling around everywhere.

"That's not the point, Maria." Her friend laughed enigmatically, slapping Dahlia's side gently.

"You'll thank me later when Mahad is falling at your feet"

"I don't think he's going to be the one falling over to be brutally honest..."

The women laughed and continued to stagger their way through the shopping mall, oohing and ahhing at various outfits in the windows. Maria tugged at her arm when they reached the shop Dahlia had been dreading most of all. Scantily dressed women smiled from the posters in the windows, displaying their underwear with an easy smile. _Oh lawwwwd _thought Dahlia desperately _Maria actually meant it. Lingerie shopping with my best friend - well, i guess a lot of women must do that sometimes, right? Jesus, just get over the embarassment dahlia. It's just a few bras, and noone in there is going to be judging you 'cause they're buying that stuff too. Plus they can't see you. _Dahlia relaxed. It was just a little bit of shopping with a gal pal. What harm could there be?

"So, first we'll get you measured-"

"What? I thought we couldn't be seen by anyone in case they recognise us?"

"Meh. We'll risk it this once. Don't worry, it's easy. You just go into that little private room at the back and one of the ladies who works here measures you and will tell you what size you need to be buying from here. Well, in our case stealing. But you know what i mean." Maria beamed and shoved Dahlia up to the door and knocked, wavering into visibility. The door was opened by a woman slightly older than them, who smiled reasurringly.

"Hello girls, you need measuring?"

"I don't need it" Maria pushed Dahlia forward, "She does."

Hating her so called friend, Dahlia stepped through the door awkwardly and closed it behind her. She shifted uneasily from foot to foot as the woman raised an eyebrow at her in amusement, whipping a tape measure off from where it hung around her neck.

"I don't bite you know. This your first time getting measured?" Dahlia bit her lip and nodded. The woman clucked exhasperatedly, hands on hips.

"I don't know...It's never a good idea to just be guessing what size you are you know. Wearing the wrong size bra will seriously damage your ahhh _assets _shall we say." The woman winked and continued. "Well, all i need you to do is take off your top and i'll measure you."

"Don't I take off my bra too? I heard-" The shop attendant giggled and shook her head.

"That's a myth. You never actually take your bra off when you get measured. Couldn't have us invading your privacy too much, can we?" Seeing that Dahlia was still nervous, the woman kept talking.

"Think of it like this. You've worn a bikini, right? Well, you wouldn't be embarassed of me seeing you in a bikini, would you? So why should you be ashamed of me seeing you in your bra? They're both practically the same really, when you get down to it."

Dahlia considered this. What she was saying was true, of course. There was no shame in it. Still, it was a little weird to strip off in front of a complete stranger. Better to get it over with, really. She shrugged out of her top, tugging it over her head. The shop assistant wrapped the tape measure around the underside of her bra, then around her fullest point.

"Oooo-kay. 32 and 35. Which makes you a 32C. Done." The woman wound up her tape measure and Dahlia blinked.

"That's it?"

"That is honey. See how easy it is? Nervewracking on your first time though. Say...You look familiar..." Dahlia shoved her top on and left quickly, searching for Maria, who was nowhere in sight. Panicking, she made her way swiftly to the door and felt a hand clamp down on her wrist. Instinctively she twisted with her other hand and punched her assailant square in the face.

"OWWW FUCK ME THAT HURT!" blood trickled from Maria's nose as her eyes squeezed shut for a second. "Ouch, ouch ouch. What the hell was that for?" Maria winced at Dahlia through streaming eyes.

"Thought you were someone else." Everyone in the shop was watching them with varying degrees of suspicion. "Come on. The woman started to recognise me. Oh and i'll pass on fucking you, ta very much."

Maria looked at her for a second then roared with laughter. The people around them had gone back to their business, only occasionally glancing at the pair in the doorway. Maria grabbed her wrist and turned them invisible again so they could look through the shop in peace.

"I think i'm a bad influence on you Dahlia."

"Definitely" Dahlia winked in a deliberately Maria-like way and looked around in interest. Some of this stuff was actually quite nice...

* * *

><p>A full hour later they were done with their shopping and had decided to stop for some lunch before heading back home. Maria had acquired some chicken and bacon sandwiches, sticky iced buns and some fruit cocktails from a vendor. Acquired meaning blatently stole them. It was funny that Dahlia didn't feel too bad about all this stealing going on. When the pirates went on raids, generally what they aimed to bring back was water and food. Fashionable clothes and delicacies weren't exactly high priority. Any clothes they had were generally made in Ningxia, or one of the other neutral blocks and then traded to them secretly. Even then, the clothes on offer were expensive, so what people bought was mainly functional. You can't afford to have a fashion sense when you're on the run from the law. They're just not compatible.<p>

So now they were walking casually through the local park, bags hanging from their arms. Dahlia was wearing one of her new dresses and a bit of perfume wafted around her subtly, not too strong or too obvious. At first she'd felt a little uncomfortable in the soft white cotton of the dress, but the feeling had subsided when she'd noticed a few men looking her way and smiling or winking at her. For the first time in her life she felt...pretty. She'd always known that she wasn't an ugly hag, but getting attention from people was nice and unexpected.

It was a beautiful and mild day. The sun beat down on them and Maria selected a nice spot in the middle of the grass for them to sit and soak up its rays. Maria wanted to get a little bit more energy into her before she attempted to fly them back to Puerto Angel. The girls lay there awhile, basking in the sunshine and caught in their own thoughts. Dahlia broke the silence.

"So you and Wayan. You think it'll last? I don't mean any offence. But he's a good guy and I like you. I'd hate it to go sour or end badly. I might have to choose between the two of you if that happened."

"I...I really don't know. I mean...He's quite a few years older than me, which I don't mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely crazy about the guy." Maria's omnipresent smile faded and genuine worry crept into her tone. "But I don't know if I'm good enough for him. No, let me finish. Would you believe me if I said that I've never had a proper relationship?" Dahlia rolled onto her side to look at the suddenly sheepish Maria and raised an eyebrow.

"No, I wouldn't. You seem pretty...experienced for someone who's 'never had a relationship'" Maria snorted.

"Oh I've had sex. Don't get me wrong, I've had some mind exploding experiences-"

"I don't wanna know-"

"- Okay, lil' miss prissy. But they were all one night stands. I don't regret it, but I've never had anything meaningful until Wayan. Last night was...I won't say magical, because that's so overused. But it was sensual. I really felt like there was something there other than just, well, lust." Maria shrugged and smiled wryly. "Guess i'm just scared that i'll mess up the first good thing thats happened in my life. Wow...that sounded so cheesy"

The women both laughed and, after a while, decided it was time to leave after visiting one more shop...

* * *

><p>Back on Puerto Angel, Mahad was getting the reprimand of his life. Cortes' little rages tended to go through three basic stages; Stage one was silent rage, in which he would simply allow his victim to sit under his steely, furious glare, usually for any amount of time up until half an hour. Mahad had been treated to 48 minutes of cold shoulder in which cortes sat opposite him behind his desk, alternating between slamming papers down and glowering at Mahad over steepled fingers. It was designed to make his victim feel as uneasy as possible for as long as possible. When Cortes had finished with that, stage two had began. Incandescent with rage, Cortes would make up for the long silence of stage one by suddenly barking out quick, sharp remarks until his face turned bright red with anger. Currently, they were in the third and final stage. Cold and bitter negotiations took part in this stage. Cortes was slightly less loud but no less nasty and blunt with his words. The pirate captain had quite the temper when provoked. This time, he felt VERY provoked. His right hand...woman had been impregnated by a boy who couldn't avoid danger if he hid in an underground room for the entirety of his life. The boy who was currently blabbering away in the back of his mind. Probably best to listen a little bit.<p>

"Cortes. We love each other. I am going to support her through this. I swear."

"And what if you die on one of your little escapades, hmm Mahad? Who will look after Dahlia when you snuff it? How will she look after a baby on her own? What if it's a young lad, needing a daddy to look up to?"

"Well, I would hope that you would look after her in the unfortunate event of my death. Unless YOU'D leave her on her own and not support her? I can't say that I'll never be in danger again. Because there is always a risk. There's a risk for all of us. I may as well ask you what you think you're doing putting yourself in danger when there's Cheng to consider. Or why you'd even let your son on a battleship. But I don't. Because I know there's no choice but the dangerous option." Mahad snarled and Cortes stood.

"Aye. You're right there. But it doesn't make what you said any less rude. How dare you insinuate that I deliberately put Cheng in danger-"

"But you do. Because you have to. Because the kid is a frickin' genius when it comes to computers. Because if he wasn't on the ship, some of us might not be here now. I never said that you _wanted _to put Cheng in danger. I said that you _had _to. Now, I will support Dahlia. But I won't stop helping the rebellion. Wanna know why? Because when my kid is Cheng's age, I don't want him or her to _have _to fight. I want them to be able to be a kid. My little sister is fighting for survival every day Cortes. You think that doesn't kill me a little inside? To watch my baby sister turning into a soldier? Turning into an adult before she's even 13? I don't want that for anyone else."

Mahad finished and realised that Cortes was silently watching him in something vaguely resembling awe and respect. The gruff, ginger haired man he'd come to respect was speechless. He watched as Cortes leant back and folded his arms, surveying Mahad thoroughly before stating;

"You sound like your father. I never heard a man talk with more passion about the cause than him. When I was 19, I was on Angkor for market day and I saw a big crowd all gathered around in a tight circle. There were little children, old men, young men, women all gathered around this kid maybe a year, a year and a half younger than me." Cortes snorted, half smiling to himself, " I remember thinking why are they listening to this guy? He's just a kid. Then he open his mouth and he began to talk. The things he said, Mahad! Marcus was a canny fellow. He could make you want to give up all your worldly possessions and follow him and that battered old tin can of his. God knows, he managed it with me."

"My...My dad was the one who made you want to join up?"

"You got that right. Marcus was enigmatic. I went up to him that very day when he was done talking and said I wanted to join up. He said you got a ship? Then he looked at me and christophe and we both joined the rebellion. One speech and he had us hooked. He was a 17 year old, running around in the hyperion, which in the early days before Dahlia's dad fixed it up really was a tin can. It was his ultimate way off putting his middle finger up to the sphere. He used to flaunt that ship right in their faces."

"You knew him well then?" Mahad heard the eagerness in his own voice. He felt like he barely knew this famous rebel he had for a father. The memories were so vague, innacurate memories of a four year old. Memories of being held and wearing a hat with goggles that slid down his forehead. He remembered the smell, wafting through the fuzzy memories with a sharp, direct smell of Gunpowder, engine oil and underneath it all, burnt leather. It was a comforting smell.

Cortes sighed and shrugged. "I know why you're asking Mahad. But I'm afraid I wouldn't presume to _know _him. I respected him, we all did. He was very vocal against the sphere. But when it came to himself? He was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Mila was his confidante. His closest friend after her would probably have been George. Thos two spent an awful lot of time tinkering away in that garage of Dahlia's. But that was a gradual friendship and I'm not surprised that it happened. George was...lively. He was one of those people who are impossible to dislike, impossible to annoy. Dahlia absolutely worshipped the ground her father walked upon. I think she's still grieving, in her own way. But enough of that. It doesn't do to wish that he was still here. He's been gone for years and though i wish it wasn't so, he won't be coming back anytime soon. So your best bet is to ask your mother about Marcus. I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you anything you want to know."

Mahad nodded, realising that Cortes had by now forgotten that he was meant to be yelling at him still. He quickly stood and exited the room while his luck was still holding. _Time to have a chat with mum. She'd never talk about him in the past incase we let something slip to a friend, but now maybe she'll tell me about Dad?_

* * *

><p>Mila was humming quietly to herself as her hands glid over the dishes, washing them thoroughly with a lemon scented soap. There was the sound of a door opening and Mahad arrived in the room. His face was set into determination and she quickly assumed that he had something important to either tell or ask her. How did she know? Well, Mahad had just come to help her dry the dishes without her even having to ask him, so he clearly wanted something from her and was trying to get into her good books.<p>

"Well? You have something important to say. If it's that you and Dahlia are getting married, naturally I'm delighted but-"

"NO! No, I have something to ask"

"Oh?" She smiled secretly to herself at Mahad's reaction, knowing the thought of marrying Dahlia would linger in his mind. It had clearly never before occured to him.

"Well...It's about Dad."

The plate slipped through Mila's wet fingers and hit the edge of the sink, chipping at the edge with a dull _clip _sound. She let out the breath she'd been holding and planted her hands firmly on the edge of the counter, gazing into the murky washing up water as if it was a crystal ball that would reveal the best way to reply. She'd known that they would ask one day, of course they'd be curious about there father. But thinking about Marcus' laughing pine-green eyes and the way they used to glint in the sunlight or when he had a particularly ingenious idea...It was something she'd always reserved for herself. The memories of the Marcus she had been priveledged to know and love had remained locked inside her for years, private thoughts that she would think of often when she was alone at night. When she would roll over onto her side in the morning and see the other half of the bed empty and her heart would shrivel inside, because for that glorious moment between sleeping and waking she'd forgotten that he was gone, that he was missing and she would never see him again...

But that had to change because her child was watching her with her own eyes shining in Marcus' face. She often saw a lot of Marcus living in Mahad. They were different as the sun and the moon, but sometimes she'd see that devious look in Mahad's eyes and have to look twice because for a second she thought she saw green eyes laughing, not blue eyes and Marcus, not Mahad. Mahad was still watching her with concerned love, so she had to reply now. Slowly, she started to talk.

"Well. I didn't expect that, but I suppose I should have been more prepared. Let's...Let's sit down in the living room. This might take a while. Call your sister downstairs, will you? She's in her room with Cheng. Homework, or a project I think. Poor boy." Mila sighed to herself as Mahad jogged upstairs. The little Chinese boy clearly had a soft spot for her daughter. But unfortunately, her daughter took as much notice of him as Lee did of her. A shame. Cheng was such a nice little boy. Childish, but only in comparison to Lena, who was much too mature for her age and for all her incredible powers, absolutely blind to how others felt about her.

The stair creaked and all three children were there, looking at her curiously. Cheng smiled at Lena, who didn't notice and left. Mila indicated that they should sit and curled her legs underneath herself so that she'd be comfortable.

"Now. Where would you like me to start?"

"Just...What was he like? How did you meet?" Mahad began before Lena interjected with;

"Did you love each other straight away?"

Mila chuckled and held up a hand. "Just those three for now. Then i promise in future i'll answer any others, but now it's all we have time for. I met him when I was on my first real mission for the sphere. I'd already been having a few doubts about the sphere...there was a girl in my class. On graduation day her brother broke in to rescue her and they...well. I'm sure you can guess what they did to him. But it wasn't what they did. I thought that I'd have to kill Mutinous rebels who ran around looting and killing. But he wasn't that much older than we were. I-I don't think he even was older, he was younger... I don't remember much about him. But I remember that he had ginger hair and he was crying so badly his face was swollen. Then they just killed him. Right in front of her when she refused to do it herself. The noise she made...God that scream. I'll never forget that. She sounded like someone had torn her into pieces and danced on the remains."

Mila fell silent until Mahad cleared his throat loudly. She blinked and continued her story, slower this time. "I met your father then. To answer your question Lena, no I didn't love him straight away. I'm pretty sure he didn't either since he tried to hit me around the head with a metal pole. But I decided to save him. So maybe there was something in me that knew there was something a little different about him. But probably I just felt guilty about the other boy's death. Anyway, we ended up on Babylonia-"

"Where we used to live?"

"Yes, Lena. In fact, exactly where we used to live. The house belonged to Marcus' parents before us. Your grandparents. But well...we grew closer. Stopped trying to fight each other while we fixed the hyperion. It was _ALWAYS _needing fixing back then. I always told him he should get something more inconspicuous, but that was Marcus alright. He thoroughly enjoyed laughing in the sphere's face and flaunting their prototype ship right in front of their noses. It became his icon, really. You'd look out onto a battlefield and see the hyperion and think 'Marcus Farrell's in this fight. We're going to win this thing!'. People would see the hyperion and know that their leader was out there with them. It would give them hope. Because nobody ever _Dared _to fly Marcus' ship. In fact, I can count the amount of people who have flown as passengers in that ship when it belonged to him on one hand. And I'd still have fingers left over." Mila smiled and took a deep sip of her water, waiting for the look of wonder to fall off of Mahad's face.

"The ship was that important?"

"It was that important. I often used to think to myself that he loved that hunk of metal more than he loved me. But it wasn't so, of course. He never saw you Lena, but he loved you both. He had a little nickname for you Mahad. He used to call you Devanté - It means Rebellious fighter, because of how much you used to kick at me in the womb. You'd always calm down whenever he started talking nearby though. Used to make him very damn proud of himself. However," She smiled, noticing Lena's disappointment, "He also had a very big soft spot for his baby girl. He was convinced, right from the start that this time it would be a girl. Absolutely convinced. When i was pregnant, he used to sing to you sometimes. Lay his head on my stomach and just hum or sing away. You used to kick at him and i don't really blame you - he wasn't exactly a great singer."

"What did he sing?" Lena was amazed that her pirate father would ever do something as un-macho as singing. It wasn't what she'd expected, from what she'd heard about him.

"Well, when we met we found this ceedee. seedy? CD? I _think _they pronounced it CD back in the old days. Who knows. We don't use them now, they're too outmoded. But it was of a man named Elvis. Your dad particularly liked to sing one called "love me tender" to you and me late at night when your brother was all tucked up into bed and asleep. I've got a copy of it on the music player over there. You should listen to it sometime." Mila waved her hand over to a battered Stereo near the side of the room before standing and brushing herself off.

"Now if you don't have any more questions..." She headed for the kitchen, determined to finish off those dishes. Mahad wandered out of the house, determined to find where Dahlia had got to and think some more about what he'd learned. Lena hesitated and caught her mother's arm as Mila passed.

"Mum...Do you miss him?

Mila pulled her daughter into a hug and muttered "_Always_." She drew back and smiled. "Even his...slightly annoying parts."

Lena giggled, "Like...?"

"Your father had quite a fondness for animals. In fact when we first staying together that week in Babylonia, he adopted a rat for a while. He called it _Pete _for crying out loud. _Pete _the rat. I think he just looked after it to annoy me really - I hate rats. We thought about maybe getting a pet when we moved in together, but decided it was on responsibility too many. We were having to move around too much, stay hidden. It'd be hard to do that with two children _and _an animal"

"Plus Mahad's practically an animal anyways..."

"Lena!"

* * *

><p>Mahad hammered on the door and Maria spat out her tea, rushing to the window. She turned around and waved frantically at Dahlia, mouthing 'He's here' and 'good luck!' before running towards the back door. Dahlia took a deep breath, assesed the army of shopping bags beneath her and checked her reflection one last time before whirling around and grabbing Maria's back.<p>

"Do I smell alright? Look okay?"

"You look fucking gorgeous and smell like a bundle of roses. Now go get 'im!" Maria embraced her and left quickly, closing the back door just as Dahlia opened the front door. Mahad blinked in clear bemusement. His spiky natured little hell's angel was dressed in a floaty white summer dress with a thin halterneck strap. Her eyes were accentuated by the tiniest amount of mascara and eyeliner, her nails were painted and filed instead of in their usual ragged state. He entered and immediately noticed the enormous amount of bags littering the floor of the hall. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek softly and wrap his arms around her, one hand remaining on her face in a gentle caress.

"Had a girls day out?" Her body felt so good next to his like this. Made him almost want to- No. She was pregnant. He had to treat her carefully after all the recent stress on her body.

"Mmmm." The seductive sound of her agreeing shot straight through him as she moved dangerous close. Quickly breaking off the hug, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Hungry? I'm starving..."

Dahlia resisted the urge to growl as Mahad walked past her quickly into the kitchen. He hadn't even said he liked her clothes! He barely noticed them! And she'd gone to all this effort dressing up for him! Well she'd damn well show him...

Striding forward as powerfully as her aching side would allow, she tapped him on the shoulder and crossed her arms impatiently. Without even turning around he remarked;

"I was thinking we should order a takeaway, pizza or chinese?" Without warning she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around so that his back hit the counter, where he stood stunned, takeaway leaflet still in hand.

"Like my clothes?" She asked bluntly.

"Erm...Yes? They're...clothy."

"Well that's good for you honey. However I would prefer them to be off of me, right now, in THERE" She indicated the living room, "With you. Do. You. Understand?"

Mahad's lips watered. A pissed and definitely willing Dahlia was an irresistible turn on...But he didn't want to hurt her still.

"But the baby..."

"SCREW THE BABY! Well, don't. Screwing your unborn child would be impossible and rather _disgusting. _But screwing me is GOOD." Without warning, Dahlia grabbed Mahad either side of his face and pulled him down to kiss her.

For about half a second, Mahad entertained the idea of resisting and then he gave up. Running his hands down her sides before taking a hold of her just below her bum and picking her up. She laughed and he groaned as it vibrated against his lips. He opened his eyes so that he could carry her from the room and was rewarded with the sight of her looking into his eyes with a mischevious and highly satisfied look. He paused at the threshold of the room, wondering something.

"Don't tell me you've already changed your mind" Dahlia moaned and he shook his head.

"I was just wondering...Why did you get all dressed up today?"

She laughed and threw back her head, exposing the slender curve of her neck which he immediately began to place hot, sweet kisses upon. She sighed and replied; "To make me feel girly and pretty. Oh and to get you to sleep with me. Why didn't you like what i'm wearing? You didn't say I looked pretty or-"

"I didn't say you were pretty because you're beautiful Dahlia. _Without _the clothes. The clothes are nice - but it isn't them that makes you look good. You'd look good to me in a bin bag skirt with a little shred of newspaper to cover up these lovelies.." He trailed off, smoothing one finger over the swell of her breast as she smiled tenderly up at him.

"You really think that?"

"Yes love. I really think that. I love how you look anyway. If you want to feel girly, then you go ahead and dress girly." His mouth twisted up into a smile. "But I want you to know that you don't need to do that if it's just to impress me. I think you're beautiful already."

"You're being very deeply emotional Mahad. I may have to break into tears..."

"Yeah. We should really stop talking-"

He slid his hand craftily up her skirt, pushing it upwards past silken skin before pausing when the view of a pair of satiny red panties came into view. The sides of them were sheer lace and through them he could see a delicious portion of skin, but not _quite _enough. He licked his lips in shocked admiration and glanced up.

"However...I DO like these new clothes..."

"I have many other pairs...You can thank Maria for that idea."

She had a wide smirk across her lips which he instantly kissed away, laying her back onto the sofa. Her eyes watched him as he pulled his top over his head and threw it down, followed by her dress which she had removed while he wasn't looking. He swallowed at the sight of Dahlia stretched beneath him, clad in only a set of matching lingerie and a smouldering smile beneath fiery brown eyes. His fingers moved against his bidding, stroking down the centre of her stomach and curling beneath the fabric or her panties, peeling them down agonisingly slow. She was already slick with excitement and he trailed his fingers down her entrance before slow pressing his index finger into her and rolling his thumb over her clit. She whimpered slightly and he quickly went to withdraw before her hands grabbed his and stopped him, pulling him back deeper into her.

He continued to massage his finger within her before carefully adding another, widening her until she was comfortable with three of his fingers and gripping the edge of the sofa with a glazed look on her face. He undid her bra one handed with a little difficulty and she cast it aside as he leant down on top of her, continuing his ministrations all the while. Her face was close to his now and he kissed it once before moving steadily down her neck and arriving in the sloped valley between her breasts. Here, he looked up at her and smiled deviously at her, loving her heated gaze upon him, before ever so slowly pressing his mouth to her left nipple, kneading the supple flesh beneath his right hand. She cried out and arch her hips upwards into his hand, inwardly hating how much control her had over her.

"Mahaaaad. _Please._" He looked back into her eyes and instantly knew what she wanted. Casually flicking her hardened nipple one last time with his tongue, he withdrew his hand from inside her (noting her dismayed whimper with pride) and reached for his boxers. Dahlia got there first, yanking them down quickly and taking him into her hand. He hissed quietly at the feel of her delicate porcelain hands wrapped around him and shook his head, pushing her back to lay down again. She complied half reluctantly, wanting to explore him more, but too caught in the moment to complain. He trailed his hand downwards, lining himself up precisely before swiflty and surely entering her.

Dahlia groaned slightly at the sudden size of him, remembering with a grimace how painful the first time had felt. But this was all pleasure and she hesitantly bucked her hips upwards towards him, filled with satisfaction when she saw Mahad's facial morph into pleasure. Slowly, he began to move, building pace gently in a way that drove her mad. She wanted more, but knew he wouldn't be anything but careful with her. She loved how much he cared about her - but she wasn't made of glass. Hesitantly, she began moving up against him, matching his pace with powerful movements upwards. Her eyes rolled back as all of the nerves in her body began to sing with contentment, fast approaching climax. Mahad winced. God. He'd forgotten how tight she was. He would have to hold on though. He wouldn't allow himself to finish before her. He could tell she was close and he moved faster, hurrying her release before he himself reached his peak. A gasp floated to his ears and he stopped a secong before moving in that exact way again, rewarded with another contented groan and a tightening of her fingernails on his back. He repeated it again and again, hammering that one spot that made her sigh until she came in sharp waves around him, gripping him in a vice-like hold as he gladly followed her into and oblivion of peace and pleasure...

* * *

><p><strong>AN Yeah...First sex scene that i've actually ever published online. I've written them, but never had the guts to publish, i've always avoided them. So i'd love to get feedback, even if it is just you chucking stuff at me for befouling your innocence. Hey, you don't like it? Shouldn't have read it then, should you? RnR**


	11. Black Masks and Gasoline

**A/N Time for celebration! It's my birthday in less than a week AND word is working again, so I can spell check the story! YAY! LESS ERRORS!**

**Chapter Eleven : Black Masks and Gasoline**

_**So here and now, in our rotting nation  
>the blood, it pours, it's all on our hands now<br>we live, in fear, of our own potential  
>to win, to lose, it's all on our hands now!<strong>_

_**And I have an American dream,**_  
><em><strong>but it involves black masks and gasoline.<strong>_  
><em><strong>One day I'll turn these thoughts... into screams,<strong>_  
><em><strong>at a world that turned its back down on me<strong>_

**( Black Masks And Gasoline – Rise Against )**

* * *

><p>Sasha sighed as the warm water misted around her, revelling in the luxurious hot shower. Somehow, it always managed to brighten her up in the morning when she staggered out of her bed in the early sunshine, groaning like a zombie. She was definitely not a morning person. She'd been so busy the last few weeks after a month of relative idleness. Oslo had been sending her out on patrols to the furthest reaches of Skyland. In fact, she'd only just got back from a three day water collection over in Na'saki. Before then, she'd been leading search parties into suspected rebel territories. She was incredibly thankful that she didn't come across any hiding rebels. There had been an instance of hostility in the streets of Brasília when a young man had thrown some rotten fruit at her and hurled what could only be verbal abuse at her in Portuguese. She had grimaced and spat out the rotten juice that had dribbled into her mouth. The scene that had ensued had been a bloodbath. The brigs had taken the mild incident as open attack and open fired upon the man. She tried to tell them to stop, but choked on her mouthful of gunge and threw up. When the crowd had cried out in protest at the man's death, the brigs began firing indiscriminately into the crowd. Despite her ordering them to stop, they slaughtered those people for the sake of a hundred gallons of water. Suddenly, her shower didn't feel all that nice. In her mind's eye she could see the jets of water pounding down on her turning into a crashing waterfall of those people's blood and she was drowning in it, treading water in an ocean of their anguished thoughts that had screamed through her mind as they were butchered.<p>

She snapped back to reality with a start and spun the lever to turn off the shower. For a few moments she just stood there leant against the tiled wall, her head drooping forwards between her shoulders. They died for no reason. The Sphere killed them simply because they could. Because there was no-one to stand up and stop them. The rebellion had been made so weak by the disappearance of their past leader, Marcus Farrell. She staggered out of the shower stall, feeling sick to the core. She reached for a towel and saw the Sphere logo embroidered in one corner. The room was a symphony in blue, white and grey. Everywhere she looked, even in her own room, the Sphere had stamped it's mark. Her reflection gazed back at her from the mirror through eyes that for a 28 year old, were much too weary. Her brush slipped through her long hair, scratching at the tangled bits here and there.

She hadn't had the time to investigate further into Cameron's mysterious company. She had only been back to Cameron when she needed to bring him food and water. Too exhausted to try to read his mind again and too scared of what she might do if she was alone with him for a long time, she simply left him food for a few days before leaving on her missions to whatever block Oslo had decided to torment this time.

Speaking of Oslo...She was pretty convinced that the reason he kept sending her out was because he was avoiding her. After the drama of kidnapping Cameron and finding out a world – changing scrap of information, she'd almost forgotten her half-drunken advances upon Oslo. But not quite forgotten. When she got back in the early hours of that morning and walked past his door, she'd instantly remembered trying to kiss her boss. Who also happened to be the person she hated most in the whole of Skyland. The guy was an absolute nutcase. If someone is insane enough to believe in fairy tales like the lady of light prophecy to such an extent that they try to kidnap a eleven year old girl because they think "she's the one", they clearly aren't that mentally well. He almost seemed like a paedophile really.

But she'd tried to kiss him to get the taste of Cam off of her lips. Thinking about it, Oslo had actually tasted pretty darn nice for someone who had the personality and looks of a wet fish. When she'd initiated it, she'd been hoping that he'd be such a bad kisser that he'd erase the mental trauma of kissing Cameron. After all, she already hated and was disgusted by Oslo, so it wouldn't matter if she was a little more disgusted, would it? But he'd tasted like the strawberry cheesecake they'd made together and smelt like fresh dew. Her biggest regret was that he hadn't really returned the kiss. That would have made things a lot more interesting.

She sighed and set down her brush, shimmying into her Sphere uniform, opting as always to wear a dress uniform. Oslo and many others always looked at her in disbelief when they saw her choose to wear a dress for such a physical job. Little did they know that she wore a dress so that she could easily strap a knife to the inside of her left thigh. If she'd worn trousers, the knife would be inaccessible as well as visible against the material. Guardians weren't meant to carry weapons, since the board of governors had ruled it was too "common" and only the unworthy normal folk had to rely upon weapons. In her experience, "common" and "beneath her" as a weapon might be, at the end of the day it was a long sharp piece of hardened steel and capable of quite a bit of damage. Grinning at her dirty little secret, she fixed a garter around her upper thigh and strapped the weapon tight against her skin so that it wouldn't rub accidentally and cut her.

Finally all ready to go, she left her room and wandered down to her and Oslo's private dining room as she always did. There was a man sitting in there already, his face buried in a book, one foot crossed over his other knee casually. He was in plain clothes and she scowled at the blatant intruder. Clearly this was someone new to the ship if they didn't realise this was her and Oslo's private dining room.

"This is the officer's canteen. The general dining area is down the hall." She'd placed her hand on her hip and was tapping her foot, waiting for the cadet's response. No doubt they would grovel at her feet and be so, so sorry for coming into her and Oslo's private area...

The book was lowered and Sasha blinked twice. Cool and mildly amused grey eyes surveyed her from the lily white features of Commander Oslo. But at the same time not Commander Oslo. A thin growth of hair was upon his head and the clothes weren't his usual uniform. She'd once wondered what exactly he wore when not in uniform and this seemed to be it. Slightly baggy grey tracksuit bottoms with a black stripe up the side underneath a tight white T-shirt. The dark circles that haunted his eyes were worse than normal, making him look completely washed out.

"You." She hesitated, wondering how to backtrack quickly "You're not wearing uniform." She accused him. He just sighed and stretched, throwing the book down. She noted the title on the cover - "War and Peace." _How ironic is that? _Her thoughts snickered, slightly curious about why a known tyrant would read something like that. Yes, the war part made sense. But reading about peace? A strange flash of an image of Oslo dressed like a hippy and spouting phrases about love and peace for all imprinted itself on her mind. _Yeah that's never going to happen..._

"I couldn't sleep, so I came down here to read for a while before getting changed and ready for the day. I suppose I must have lost track of the time. If it bothers you, I'll get changed and then come back-"

"No, It's okay. I was just surprised." She eyed his head and before she could say it she was blurting out "You have hair." He flushed and ran his hand over his head, nodding.

"I forgot to shave. I'll do it straight after breakfast." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Oslo never forgot. He was like an elephant in that respect. Something big was up.

She sat down in the chair next to him. A servant hurried through from the kitchen, straightening their teal uniform. He stuttered out the question of what they would like the cook to make for their breakfast. Sasha shook her head as always, stating that she would cook her own breakfast. Oslo sighed and turned to her.

"What is this foolishness that you insist on continuing?"

"I don't like people doing things for me, I'd rather do it myself and feel like I've achieved something." She stood and headed for the kitchen, her nose quite firmly in the air. If he wanted to order people around and have everything done for him, then he could damn well go ahead and do that. But it didn't mean that she would.

The cook was already in the adjoining kitchen and smiled nervously at the Lieutenant Commander, licking her lips. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her superior's strange habit of cooking for herself. She admired it, but she didn't understand it. The middle aged woman trembled and her eyes slid off of Sasha and onto the person standing behind her.

"C-C-Commander Oslo! Sir!" She stood stiffly at attention, but he paid her no notice.

"Your services are not necessary. Leave."

Sasha turned around to look at him, her hands transferring to her hips once more and her eyebrows rising in defiance. He walked past her and selected an apron from the cupboard – thankfully not the frilly one which she'd made him wear before.

"I have decided to investigate what it is exactly that makes you want to cook for yourself." He drawled, running his hands beneath the tap and rinsing them off with warm water.

"You shouldn't have Oslo. You can't cook for toffee." Her hands fumbled with surprise when he simply answered.

"Then teach me."

His face, whilst completely blank, looked honest enough. But her mind rejected the idea of Oslo asking _her _for help. He would never let himself appear so weak. But there was something a little different about him today. It might benefit her to play along. She grabbed some scales and shoved them into his hands, ordering him to weigh out some flour while she cracked some eggs into a bowl.

Ten minutes later, Sasha was choking on laughter at the sight of Oslo scowling at her covered in flour. He slapped it off of his clothes, growling angrily. She smirked.

"Lighten up Oslo, jeez, if you weren't such a killjoy you'd be able to laugh at yourself."

" I don't see anything funny..."

She reached across and swiped a finger down his cheek, leaving a clean trail and gathering a mound of flour onto her finger. Teasingly, she blew the dusty particles off of her finger and into his face, making him sneeze.

"Whatever. Lets just get this cleaned up." She covered the bowl of pancake batter with cling film and shoved it into the fridge for now. A few seconds later, damp cloth in hand she advanced on Oslo whilst still chortling at his appearance. First his clothes got dusted off with a few flicks of her hand, dislodging the stubborn flour. Her stomach flipped over a little in worry when she realised that she was practically stroking the guy through his thin top. His wiry body and even, unfaltering gaze upon her made her blush, but if she stopped then that would look more suspicious than if she continued. Darting around behind him, she composed herself as she brushed the last bits from his shoulder.

"Turn around, I need to get it all off your face now." He obeyed her, frowning down upon her as she reached up with the cloth and wiped gently around his cheeks, down his long straight nose before realising she couldn't quite reach his forehead. He seemed to sense this and leaned his head forward closer to her. She scrubbed away the flour, circling smoothly down around his temples. His eyes were staring at her unreadably and she flinched, stepping away from him quickly.

"Done." She tossed the dish cloth away, turned back and he grabbed her wrist. For a few seconds they just stared at each other, her eyes flitting around for a sign of what he was going to do next.

"We...need to talk." He stated firmly. "Start making the pancakes and I will explain."

Sasha nodded mutely, her mind racing through endless possibilities as her hands went through the motions of fetching the batter. He had to talk to her? About what? The kiss they'd shared two weeks ago? His avoidance of her? The company? God, did he know? Did he know that she thought she knew something devastating?

The oil sizzled in the pan and she dribbled four blobs of batter into the pan,watching as they slowly bubbled. Her back was to him and she pretended to be very preoccupied with what she was doing.

"I know that you have Cameron Vitagliano." Her hand slipped and she burnt herself on the edge of the pan, trembling as she nursed her injured hand, but not turning to face him.

"Then why am I still alive?" Her voice held the hints of a tremble and she immediately cursed. She couldn't show weakness. She had to be ready to fight her way out of here.

"Because I have not told anyone. But there is a man here. He's looking into the disappearance. He knows that you went out with a date with Cam on the night he disappeared. He's been asking..._awkward_ questions. He wanted an alibi for you."

"I don't have one." Sasha whispered, fearing not for herself, but for her family if they found out where she was holding Cameron. Also, if Cameron's secret society was as dangerous as she suspected...she gulped.

"I knew as much. Sasha, I told a large lie." She could hear something uncommon in her superior's voice. Hesitation. She turned to look at him and he was rubbing a hand over his head, looking deeply unhappy at something.

"What did you tell him?"

" I told him you were with me after you got home from your date." His cheeks were colouring slightly at the edges.

"Like..._with _me? In an intimate way?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." She didn't quite know what to say. "Thank you." She reached up and pecked him on the cheek before blushing almost as badly herself. "But why did you-"

"I'll explain later. First of all, there's something urgent you must know. He's a seijin. He'll be trying to read your mind to confirm that we were together. You need to know how to block-"

"But only you're meant to know-"

"I KNOW ONLY I'M MEANT TO KNOW!" he snapped, then continued calmly " I think we're beyond regulations just a bit here. If you go down now, so do I. I refuse to go down for this-"

"Then why didn't you report me in the first place instead of avoiding me for two weeks and lying about us having sex?"

"Because I don't want you to leave." He hissed fervently. Straightening up, his mask fell back into place. "You're too valuable an asset for the Sphere to lose."

Sasha nodded thoughtfully. It made a twisted sort of sense. Oslo wouldn't want to lose one of his most powerful operatives, so he swept the issue under the carpet. Unfortunately, this now meant they were both in danger _and _she was in debt to him. But his offer to teach her how to block – now that was intriguing. The Sphere had an iron policy when it came to learning how to block mental intrusion. This policy was that only the two highest ranking members of the Sphere were taught the most effective way of keeping their thoughts secret. The powers that be had denied this privilege to Sasha though, as they didn't want her to be able to block Oslo from regularly checking her thoughts and seeing if she was planning to rebel and run away. It filled her with excitement – she'd already worried about other's accidentally detecting her thinking about Cameron and the company.

Hazily, she realised that her arms were wrapped around Oslo and her lips were thanking him. He patted her on the back swiftly and broke away. She clamped a mouth over his mouth as he began to speak, her senses suddenly pounding in the front of her mind.

"Footsteps." She whispered and his eyes went wide. All at once his hands went around her and lifted her onto the counter top and quickly slammed his lips down onto hers. She responded in a daze, wrapping her legs around his waist, fisting her hand in his shirt and pulling him closer as her other hand snaked around the back of his head. His hands were roaming too – one twirled into her hair, stroking her neck. She felt him reaching out to her mentally and she didn't try to resist.

"_It's him. He's been eating here the past few days." Oslo muttered in her head "I'd forgotten he would be here. We need to convince him that we're partners."_

"_Oh, I understand now. I thought you were just jumping me randomly."_

Sasha thought she detected him thinking "I wish" but wasn't certain – it was too distorted by the sensations he was provoking in her. His right hand was inching slowly up her dress, roaming freely up her thigh until he stopped suddenly.

_You've got a knife strapped to your thigh._

_Yes? You've got head stubble currently, I don't think you can be one to judge!_

There was a chuckle behind them and Sasha ripped her tongue out of Oslo's mouth as if surprised by the man's sudden appearance. He was middle aged, balding and rather wide around the waist. She knew instantly that he'd been watching them a while before stopping them. Pervert.

"Well, I hardly believed it of you commander, but it seems you DO have a woman. And such a _lovely _one too!" He grinned in what he thought was a seductive manner, but only made him look like a bloated frog. Coupled with this, she could feel the beginnings of him scratching at her mental defences. Oslo growled, and wrapped his hands tighter around Sasha.

"Yes, well if you don't mind, Sasha and I were just catching up. There's panca-" Oslo stopped. Distracted as they had been, the first batch of pancakes were smoking in the pan as they burnt to a cinder. With a cry, Sasha leapt of the counter, hacking the burnt remains off of the pan and into the bin. The kitchen had filled up with smoke and she wondered how neither her nor Oslo had noticed. Clearly too distracted by that _amazing kiss. _She smiled vaguely as she put more batter in the pan, humming to herself as they began to bubble and she flipped the scotch pancakes over, revealing them to be golden brown on one side. The scratching sensations stopped as Oslo left the room with the man, making a show of kissing her on the cheek before leaving.

She smiled and pressed her fingers to her lips. _It felt so soft and mmm he tasted like fresh coffee and the way his tongue-_

_I can still hear you._

Sasha jolted and grimaced. _Oslo?_

_Who else?_

_I thought it might be that guy..._

_No, he can't access your mind from here. He's not as strong as I am. _Pride seeped through into his thoughts and she rolled her eyes.

_You're such a Narcissist._

_Well, you can afford to be when you're the most powerful seijin in-_

_Didn't you get defeated by an eleven year old?_

_That was a fluke! Now be quiet and listen. When he tries to get into your head, let him. But you need to think about what you want him to see and only that. Nothing else. Think of one thing and concentrate on that. Or only think how you want him to think you think. _

_So...the best thing to do would be to fantasise about me and you being together for the first time on the night of the date with Cameron. _Her head ran through a possible scenario, detailed in the extreme, including what happened the morning after and various different positions for them to have found themselves in whilst inwardly speculating on the size of Oslo's-

_Stop. You've got the idea, but please stop infesting my mind with your inappropriateness. _

_You could have just not listened. Besides, I promise I'll big you up when he's listening._

She felt Oslo withdraw from her mind and giggled at her own little joke. She hoped to make this guy feel as insecure as hell – so she planned on making out that them having sex had been divine. Even if they hadn't, not really..._wonder what it'd be like if we actually did?_

She shook her head to clear it, then filled it with thoughts of Oslo and entered the room with three plates balance in her hands. She smiled at them both, lavishing Oslo with a wider, more flirtatious smile before giving them their plates and sitting opposite Oslo, with the stranger sitting diagonal to her, next to Oslo.

She felt him starting to advance upon her mind and quickly centre her thoughts on admiring Oslo's hands, with their very long, slender fingers that had felt so good on her skin and had felt wonderful pumping inside her-

"So, you're Sasha then? Oslo's told me so much..." The man was grinning at her eagerly, a dribble of maple syrup running from the corner of his mouth. _How undignified. _He stiffened slightly.

"Oh, I hope nothing bad" She smiled, "But he's told you nothing about you."

"Ah, well, I'll only be here for a few more days. I've been waiting to see you. I need to talk to you about Cam."

She frowned. _Cam? The name rings a bell..._

"Cameron Vitagliano."

"Ohhh him! Yes, we went out for dinner a few weeks ago." _Now I remember. Whelk boy. Kissed like a dead fish. Eurgh, rubbery lips. _She winced visibly, then smiled. _Still, at least I had something better come from that night. Damn, wish this man would just go away so me and Oslo were alone again. I hate being interrupted in the middle of something. God what I'd give to just leave right now and find a decent broom cupboard. I'm glad he remembered the pancakes though. I think making pancakes the night after we have sex is going to become a tradition. Oh, they're saying something again. Should probably listen._

"You see, Mr Vitagliano went missing just after he saw you, along with his personal body guards. Could you tell me where you were after your meeting with him?"

"Well...He dropped me home and I was here all evening."

"Doing what, precisely." _Fucking my boss, but I can hardly say that can I? Hmm, think fast._

"Paperwork." She blurted out, smiling in fake victory. _Good one. It wasn't too much of a lie either, there was paperwork present on the table when Oslo had thrown her over it- oh god. It was __this__ table. Oh my...Right. Would I get noticed if I started playing footsie? Probably. Damn it. Oh well._

Sasha smiled as Oslo, who was watching her apprehensively, wishing he knew what was going on and if she was succeeding with deceiving the man. Suddenly, he felt her bare foot slithering up the side of his leg before deftly turning over and running up the inside edge of his leg. He sucked in a breath quickly, fixing her with a heated gaze before glancing at the man, who was leering at Sasha.

"Thank you Thomas, but if that's all, Sasha and I have urgent business to attend to, don't we Sasha?"

"Yes Oslo of course!" Her foot disappeared from where it had rested briefly on his lap and she stood, hurrying around to follow him out of the door.

She couldn't resist throwing one parting mental comment out about the commander being "hung like a horse", knowing that this Thomas guy would be feeling bad about himself after her mental image of Oslo's body.

As soon as they exited the room, Oslo twirled his fingers through hers pulled her to him, laughing.

"God, Sasha what if he'd seen you?"

"I don't care. Let's just get to your room. Its closer than mine." She giggled, and set off running, pulling him along the corridor. Once they were out of hearing distance, Sasha gingerly brushed against Oslo's mind. He let her in cautiously.

_I think he was convinced. Very convinced._

_I do too. He was getting a little...excited by whatever you were thinking about. I assume I featured in these thoughts?_

_Oh yeah. Very exclusively. In many places. Including that very table. Plus I made sure I was pretty detailed._

_Good...Sasha? You know I'm not just doing this to gain advantage, don't you? I'm not just using this to-_

_I know, Oslo. Besides, I'd like to see you try and kiss me when I didn't want you to. You would get zapped. I know it's necessary for us to do this. Plus you're not a totally awful kisser._

He smirked triumphantly as he opened the door to his bedroom and they entered. For the first time, they both looked at each other.

"I'm in your room." She whispered softly, glancing around with curiosity. It was bland and featureless. His uniform was hanging over the edge of the bed, ready for him to change into. He snorted and brought her out of her careful observations of his room.

"You've been in my room. So I guess we're even." He walked away and picked up his uniform, putting it away in the wardrobe. "I think we should stay here together for today."

"When were you in my room?" A frown graced her features as she tried to remember that ever happening. "I don't remember ever- Oh. That night I had a nightmare. I'd forgotten." She finished quietly, realising that this meant Oslo realised exactly what powers she had. Yet, he hadn't tried to force her into using them like anyone else in the Sphere would have. His behaviour was getting stranger by the minute.

He gripped the hem of his top and pulled it up over his head, turning away from her to pick up his uniform and eliciting a gasp from her. There was a nasty, badly healed scar slashing across his back from one shoulder until midway to his hip. He glanced over his shoulder at her expression and shrugged.

"A grizzly did that to me about half a year ago. I was inspecting one of our bases on one of the Canadian blocks. It was frightened and lashed out."

" Don't you put any moisturiser or anything on it? "

"Why would I do that?"

She huffed and stalked through the wall into her own room, retrieving some cocoa butter and returning. She squirted some into her palm and spread it lightly over his back, massaging the lotion in, secretly copping a feel of his muscles, which were pretty well formed. She scolded herself for being so stupid. She didn't like Oslo and he certainly had no fondness for her. They were friendly enemies at best.

Oslo had to resist the urge to groan as she touched him willingly. Luckily his iron control held, his eyes fluttering shut as her hands swept over his skin, warm and soft. He licked his lips and reopened his eyes when she finished, turning to look at her incredulously. Her small face was scowling at her hands, which were covered with excess cream. She smiled up at him and very deliberately reached out and drew a line of moisturiser down his nose. She rubbed the rest onto his face, ordering him to close his eyes so that she could rub some over his eyelids. He complied, only because the feeling of her touching his face was incredibly pleasant and his eyes hurt from lack of sleep. Lack of sleep induce by her.

"I've been thinking. We don't have any duties today, so we should probably stay here for the rest of the day and cement the rumours that we're together. Meanwhile, I'll just be teaching you how to block your mind properly." She nodded.

"Then why do you have to change into your uniform?"

"I...always wear my uniform."

"Clearly not since you're not wearing it now."

"This is what I wear to bed."

"In this heat? It's summer Oslo. Don't you get hot?"

"Well I'm hardly going to sleep in nothing am I?"

"Why not? I do." She shrugged and realised immediately what she'd just said had had a major impact on Oslo, who was blinking like an owl. It was almost cute how flabbergasted he was.

"Really? But... My other part of the plan was that we'd have to be sneaking into each other's rooms every night if we wanted it to look genuine."

Sasha sniggered at him "Then I'll be sure to wear my underwear to bed for the next few nights. If I remember."

Oslo swallowed thickly and hastily moved onwards. "We should get on with the lesson."

He sat on the bed and went through everything with her to the tiniest detail. Sasha drank it in. Like he'd said earlier, the trick to deceiving someone was to think of something that wasn't real, to literally lie in her head so that the person reading their mind thought that was the truth. It required a lot of discipline, because you couldn't once think about what really happened. However, in a situation where someone was forcibly breaking into your mind and your only objective was to keep them out, it became a much simpler matter.

"You need to think of one thing. Meditation helps you to learn how to keep your mind focused upon one thing for long periods of time, so I suggest you take up the habit of meditating for at least an hour a day. In silence. You need to choose something you know very well to focus upon. Something you can visualise easily. You might find it's easiest to picture a place, or an action. Don't try to picture a memory, memories naturally lead your thoughts to different events and to the people featured in the memories. That's one method of blocking. Another is to think of absolutely nothing at all. We'll find out which method is best for you. Take a minute to think of something to visualise and then we'll try you out at blocking me trying to get in."

Sasha nodded and thought slowly. The thing she could picture easiest was Maria, but she didn't want Oslo in

her private thoughts about her only blood family. No, not Maria. Or any of the others. So that left a place. Well, the only place she could think of was the home her family had made for themselves and the compound she'd been kept captive in. She couldn't very well think of her family's hiding place, Oslo was right that there were too many memories attached. The compound...maybe she could just think about the feeling? If she just concentrated on how she had felt, the raw pain and agony, all that Oslo would get would be agony? He'd want to leave straight away, if anything.

"Ready?" She nodded, firmly remembering the pain. Oslo was pressing lightly against her mind, pushing and pushing with increasing intensity. She continued to focus. _Pain. Nerves slicing, bones breaking, hair ripped out at the roots, laughter, scientist, compound, Cameron, Captive, broken bones, golf swing, __**guilt. **_

Oslo broke away forcibly, gasping and finding tears in his eyes. "That was good. For a first attempt anyway. A clever idea, using a painful emotion that made me want to leave. But your thoughts wandered. You were thinking about how you had felt in all the different instances, so there was so much connected to the feeling, your thoughts just wandered away. Try to think of a snapshot of your life. Then fill it with details. Like, think of a scene – make it up if you like and add details like birds humming by, the texture of the grass. Then you're making your mind wander in a certain way."

She closed her eyes, sighing. This might take a while. "Are we going again or not?"

"Yes...But Sasha one thing first." His mind touched hers and she accepted it. _Cameron is at the compound? You hurt him?_

_Yes. I lost control. He's hiding something big. Who is he Oslo?_

_He's the head of the Sphere's Board of Governors, like his father was before him. The Vitaglianos run a large business. I believe they are descended from old power._

_Old power? They're seijins?_

_No. But I recall that Cameron's grandfather was the prime minister of Italy before the earth shattered. Why do you ask?_

_Because Cameron keeps thinking about a company. Not his own company. A sort of cult, or a secret society. He said it was their fault Oslo. Their fault that the Earth broke apart. He talked to you about "telling the council." Who are they Oslo?_

_The Sphere was founded immediately after the shattering by the remaining world leaders. People from the UN, the EU, the Arab league, president's and prime ministers. The idea was formulated by twelve men – one of them Cameron's father, an esteemed politician. They approached the frantic, frightened survivors and took charge. Those Twelve men established between them an army of brigs to collect and distribute supplies and people listened because there was nobody else to listen to. Those twelve men are the "council" Cameron spoke of. They run Skyland. One of the council always presides as head of the board of governors for the Sphere, so they can keep an eye on their little army._

_I thought you ran Skyland? What was all that obsession with the Lady of Light prophecy if you're just a puppet on a string? If you could never rule anyway, because they're in charge?_

_I wanted to unite the Earth so that they'd no longer be in charge. I know you hate me Sasha. In fact, I know exactly why you hate me. But regardless of what you think, I am not completely ruthless. I would not harm civilians._

_Bullshit. You have in the past. Your officers do it every day. _

_Yes in the past, but I'm different now! I would never think of harming you._

_Yeah yeah, I'll believe that when you run off and join the rebellion and become a pirate. Somehow I can see you with a big bushy beard and saying "ahoy there". NOT. You being sympathetic? On the day that happens, I'll gladly do anything you asked. Because then you are truly upon the same insanity level as I am._

_You really think it that unlikely that I would change? That I could ever be "nice and normal"_

_In a word? YES_

_Very well. I'll prove it._

* * *

><p>Oslo stood, pulling her out of the room. She sighed and let him, secretly knowing that she'd already seen a small change in him, but her stubborn side denying it.<p>

Cameron continued to inch his foot further and further out, screaming out in pain as his broken femur pushed further out of the skin, exposing more of the creamy white bone. He knew that she would be back soon, to bring him more food. A jagged piece of glass lay upon the floor just beyond his reach. He'd spent the last hour trying to hook his uncooperative foot around it and drag it nearer. Finally, he achieved his goal and held the glass in one hand, awkwardly between splinted fingers. She'd fixed his fingers at least, but she hadn't known how to fix his legs, which were much more complex. It didn't matter.

He had no chance of escaping from his metal cuffs. He had no intent to either. Gritting his teeth, he spoke quick, stumbling words in his mother tongue

"Ave Maria, piena di grazia, il Signore è con te, Tu sei benedetta tra i peccatori, e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno Gesù..."

Finishing his prayer, he sliced his left arm open in one swift move. He placed the glass into his left hand, but found that he no longer could move his left arm to cut open his right arm. He must have sliced a tendon. The glass clattered from his fingers and he allowed his hands to fall, knowing the blood would rush quicker if his hands were down and the blood could flow into them easier.

"Forgive me father, for I have sinned" He spoke mockingly now, the reality of his death setting in. "I have lived a full life, with many women. But I did not reveal our secret. Per l'amor di dio! I did not let her see the whole truth."

He was deranged now, laughing as his strength faded and the blood gushed forth. "SHE NEVER KNEW! YOU _BASTARD! _The people you killed! The world you destroyed! She _NEVER _knew. She will never know! HA!"

Cameron Vitagliano's eyes glazed as he whispered finally. "I hate you father."

His spirit rose from his body after a few moments and gazed down at it's earthly shell. It pondered in realisation at it's own sins. It had never believed in religion, but it also firmly believed in keeping all bases covered. So perhaps, if it told the girl the truth, there would be an afterlife waiting for it? The spirit sighed and morphed into an image of it's former self. Time to go and see Sasha, Cameron's ghost mused.

* * *

><p>"Oslo!" Sasha shrieked as her commander flicked water at her. Knowing that Thomas was watching at all times, she smiled alluringly and swum closer, running her hands up his chest and kissing his neck. It had been a relatively nice day spent at the beach with Oslo. He'd been trying to make her believe that he was trustable and not entirely a monster. She was determined to not be so easily convinced.<p>

With a start, she broke away from him. "Ghost" She mouthed, then dove underwater. He followed her, struggling to hold his breath. Cameron was floating beneath the water, smiling politely at her. She screamed, bubbles erupting from her mouth as she resurfaced, looking around for thomas before swimming in fast strokes further out to sea, away from the prying eyes that might be hidden on the beach.

Before much longer, she was about three quarters of a mile out into the water, then a mile. Cameron surfaced and grinned.

"Nice to see you too Sasha. Even if you did kill me."

"Why are you here?"

She glanced back at Oslo's distant form approaching. Bless him, he wasn't a very good swimmer. Cameron chuckled.

"I never quite understood what you saw in Oslo. Still, there's somebody for everyone."

"I don't like him. We're friendly enemies."

"Uhuh. Sure hon, you keep on believing that. Now listen up, because i'm only saying it once. I've had a change of heart. Being dead gives one a certain perspective change.. Plus now he can't kill me, so I may as well reveal him."

"Moriarty?"

"The very same. Ask me anything."

"Okay. Did you, or did you not, blow up the Earth?"

"Me personally? No. The council? Yes."

Sasha felt like a lead weight had dropped in her stomach. "What? Why would you..."

"Hey, not me, THEM. My dad never really said why. It was Moriarty's plan, but the council were the ones who actually carried it out. _He _never gets his hands dirty."

"Radiation. You mentioned radiation."

"Yeah. We're not too sure what's going on. The common theory behind Ghosts and Seijins is that there's residual radiation from the nuclear weapons or from the Planet's core-"

"You use _Nuclear weapons?_ The world went through nuclear disarmament in what 2085? They were internationally banned. Wouldn't we all be dead? We'd have a nuclear winter!"

"Calm down." He sighed. "All I know is, there were hundreds of them, placed in strategic positions beneath the Earth's crust. The company drilled down deep and planted them. Then they detonated. The fallout got directed into the Earth's core and fucked it up real good. Now we've got all this weird radiation everywhere." He hesitated "And it's mutating human genes. The radiation is changing too – the thing itself is mutating."

"Tell me who the others are. I'll find them all. I'll find him."

"It'll do you no good Sasha. None of us knows who the guy is. I only know who one of the other's is. His name is Burton. Big businessman. Never got his first name. He designed the brigs, he's the main manufacturer of all the Sphere's gadgets. He's a genius. But be careful. He's got a hundred lines of defense around him."

Cameron smirked, then added as an afterthough "By the way, there's a couple over here who wants me to give you _this_" A white rose materialised in his hands and she took it from him with shaking hands. Her parents.

"Thankyou." She whispered, looking down to smell the rose. "Tell them I-" He was gone. She stayed were she was, bobbing in the water while Oslo splashed closer. There was a lot she had to do, but first she needed to tell him everything.

Fixing the rose behind in her hair, she brushed the petals once lovingly, thanking her parents for giving her the strength she would need.

* * *

><p><strong>Duh duh DUH! Looks like Sasha's hit a breakthrough. Now you all know the meaning of the title "killer company" :) <strong>

**Questions, comments, things to throw? RnR and let me know (THAT RHYMED)**

**Oh dear, i'm so sad getting happy that i can rhyme. Still, to let you all know, the next few chapters are going to take place over a long period of time, just because currently the story is moving much too slow.**

**The random stuff Cameron is saying is the start of "Hail Mary" In itatlian. It's done on google translate, since I can't actually speak Italian. Shame, because Italian men are hotttttt :P**


	12. Take me out

**Chapter Twelve: Take me Out**

_**So if you're lonely  
>You know I'm here waiting for you<br>I'm just a crosshair  
>I'm just a shot away from you<br>And if you leave here  
>You leave me broken, shattered, I lie<br>I'm just a crosshair  
>I'm just a shot, then we can die <strong>_

**( Take me Out – Franz Ferdinand )**

* * *

><p><strong>June 4th 2252 Mount Olympus<strong>

Life seemed all too surreal suddenly. It wasn't the newly acquired knowledge that there was actually a company that blew up the planet. It wasn't the fear that her sister might be discovered any day. It was how Oslo was sitting next to her on the beach rubbing sun cream onto her back. And how she was liking it.

"Done." He muttered hoarsely and she glanced up at him through her eyelashes, squinting against the sun. He tossed down the bottle and glared out at the sea as if it had personally offended him. Sasha grinned. Every time they had to fake being a couple, Oslo's face took on a tortured grimace as if he was in pain. The mischievous part of her kept finding ways to get him to touch her so that the grimace turned into a full on frown. Making him touch her was her way of getting back at him for being the one to hand her over to the sphere. Or at least, that was what she told herself. With a large amount of amusement and a little bit of regret she noticed that he had worked his hands into the sand, half burying them as if to stop her from making him touch her anymore. Pity.

* * *

><p>Oslo gnashed his teeth quietly, cursing Sasha's body with all his might. Even when she was fully clothed he'd found himself gazing at her when she wasn't looking. It irked him that she appealed to him so much. Not even Mila had ever incited such thoughts in him. His relationship with her had been his only ever friendship. He was too weird, too small and wimpy for the other children at the academy to make friends with him. His heart and mind had attached to her like a limpet. She had been his only hope of ever having a relationship. But they were just "friends". Not even that, he later discovered. Mila said she had befriended him out of pity. His lips curled in disgust. He didn't want her pity then and he didn't want pity now. Sasha very much didn't pity him. She hated him so badly that she would never be friends with him out of sheer pity for him. She thought he was an ally, nothing more. She was also wearing no where near enough clothing; only a tiny pair of very short shorts, a thin strapped top and sunglasses. It was just way too tempting to touch all of the skin she had on show. She wasn't very tanned, but her skin looked smooth and was a gentle peach shade that made him look even more pallid than usual.<p>

"Penny for your thoughts." Sasha was looking at him, he realised. He'd buried his hands and winced in concentration at not thinking about her in that way.

"It's nothing." Sliding his arms around her, he pulled her down onto his chest as he lay back on the sand. She automatically curled closer to him, her lips brushing his cheek near his ear.

"I assume you have news then? Because you'd better hope for your own sake that there's a reason for just grabbing me like that. If you're getting ideas, don't. I still don't like you."

"Even though I've saved you from discovery? Even though I turned a blind eye over you helping Maria to escape-"

"You knew?"

"Of course. Don't forget, I know exactly what powers you have. Who else would have broken her out?"

"I suppose so. Why have you let me do as I please?"

"Would I have been able to stop you if I tried?"

"Nope" She smirked against his cheek, flicking her tongue out and earning a shiver from him. Progressing slowly along his jawline, she breathed hot kisses upon his skin. Oslo closed his eyes and sighed contentedly before snapping back to his usual self a little. Sasha wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't someone nearby. It was an act, as it always was. His face twisted in anger. She didn't truly want him, so this wonderful feeling was all fake. As soon as Thomas left, there would be no more afternoons spent together like this. A sudden feeling of moroseness came over him. He would be back to secretly watching and wishing.

"Commander?"

"Yes Sasha?"

"You had something to tell me, remember? News...?" He sighed and she lay back down on top of him so that he could whisper.

"The board have been scurrying about behind my back, finding a replacement for Cam now that he's been officially declared missing. They've finally decided that the commander of the Sphere might actually have some insight to offer them into the running of the Sphere."

"You? That's perfect!" She was grinning at him from where her head rested on his shoulder, "It means we're one step closer to the council."

"Mm, yes."

Oslo laughed and for just a second he was back to his old self, the power crazed psychopath that she had thought he was. His face face twisted into smug satisfaction mixed with a devious look made her feel like she'd had a bucket of cold water thrown over her. What the hell was she thinking? He hadn't changed – He was helping her because it benefited him and because over throwing the company meant he would be pushed to the top of the pile. This was entirely for his own gain, not because he had moral qualms about letting a corrupt institution rule over people. And to think, she'd been starting to consider the possibility that he might be doing this for her. What a stupid idea.

Standing, she brushed the sand off and offered him a hand. "I don't think there's anybody nearby. So we can stop pretending." He scrambled to his feet, ignoring her hand.

"If that's what you want."

"I do want. I'm not your girlfriend Oslo, no matter how convincingly I act. I never would be."

"You assume that I would ever desire you to be my partner in anything more than work."

"YOU assume that you would ever have a chance in hell with me, even if you did '_desire_' me."

"Sasha I'm-"

"I don't want to hear it. All you care about is yourself."

"But you said you thought the new position was a good thing!"

"IT IS"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING AT-"

"Having a lovers tiff are we?" There was a chuckle off to their side from Thomas. The portly man was leaning against one of the trees surrounding the beach and smiling innocently.

"What's the problem then?"

"None of yours, last time I checked. Now do you mind stopping following us around? It's doesn't half kill the mood when you keep turning up at random moments. Sheesh, you're such a freak, stalking us around like this and watching us kissing, are you trying to catch us actually doing the deed? What a weirdo." Thomas was scowling at her now, sweating and glancing from side to side uneasily.

"I am investigating into the validity of your romance with Commander Osl-"

"HAH! _Romance? _We have sex, Tom. We don't love each other or feel deeply about each other, as I was just saying to the commander. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to my room. The sun will be going down in about half an hour and it's getting cold."

She strode away, feeling Oslo present at her side, almost stumbling as he hastened to keep up with her. Ignoring him pointedly, she flicked an energy bolt at the door of the mansion to blow it open. Admittedly that wasn't such a wise move since the strength of her power blew the door off of one hinge so that it hung crookedly.

"An impressive show of power. But not of control."

"Shut it _Ozzie_" She grinned at his joke nonetheless, but wouldn't admit that she wasn't that mad at him. It was in her nature to be fuming mad and scream out all her feelings then be perfectly calm five minutes later. She wasn't one of those people whose anger simmered away for hours – her anger exploded quickly then died down just as fast.

They reached the doorway to her room and she slid her hand into her pocket for the key, mentally reaching out with her power to see if there was anybody nearby. She could detect life signatures from herself, Oslo and also one other, just down the hall around the corner. Thomas. He'd almost definitely be glancing around the corner at them. Looks like it was pretending time again then.

Grabbing Oslo firmly by the lapels without warning, she pulled him down sharply to her lips, kissing him smoothly and hoping he would understand that they had a follower. He did thankfully, and responded by leaning in and taking the key from her hands and slotting it into the door, twisting the handle and opening it in such a hurry that they both fell into the room. She laughed and kicked the door so that it was halfway closed before pushing him onto the bed and climbing on top, winking cheerfully at Oslo, whose eyes kept sliding back and forth from her to the door. She ignored him, there was no time to tell him what she was thinking of doing and anyway he'd probably object or act embarrassed and give them away.

Sasha opened her mind, feeling out for Thomas' essence – that energy at the centre of people that they exuded and found him to be inching down the corridor towards the slightly open door. Counting down from ten, she opened a mental link to Oslo so that he could hear her counting too.

_Ten, nine_

_What are you counting to?_

_Thomas peeking through the crack in the door, six, Get ready to tell me to shut the door in a minute. Or accidentally catch sight of him. Three, Two._

_What are you going to-_

Sasha smiled seductively, laughed and pushed Oslo back onto the covers, straddling him. His eyes bulged out in surprise but she just winked. _One. _Curling her fingers beneath her top, she pulled it smoothly over her head and threw it away, starting to work on his buttons hastily.

_Okay, he's just passed by so look at the door. If he's there then go crazy at him, if not just tell me to close the door. _Oslo's eyes were busy taking in her topless chest, covered only by her bra. Sighing, she leant into his neck as if to give him a tender love bite but clamped down hard to shake him out of his shocked stupor.

"Sasha..." He growled, sounding like he was enjoying himself but really he was in a lot of pain from the little harpy. He spared a glance towards the doorway, seeing a flash of colour as someone ducked around the corner of the frame. " You've left the door open."

"Eurgh one minute." Springing from the bed, she slammed the door and fell against the wood giving him a thumbs up. He just looked at her in disbelief. The woman really was insane. She bounded over and leapt back onto the bed, sliding beneath the covers and indicating that he should do the same. Oslo did it, but as soon as he had he gripped her neck and pulled her ear level with his mouth.

"Why the hell did you do that? Couldn't you have warned me before you..._stripped?_"

"Oh come on. It was hardly like it was a full on striptease Oslo. Believe me, you would react very different if I had done one of them. Why are you so horrified? I'm not even naked anywhere-"

"But he saw you and he shouldn't be looking at you like that." He immediately regretted saying that as her eyes lit up with mischief. She pressed one hand to the middle of her chest and gasped

"I'm touched Oslo. Who knew that you felt protective over me."

"I do not. I just don't appreciate any of my officers acting inappropriately."

"So us playing tonsil tennis in the kitchen two days ago didn't count at all?"

"Ye-NO!"

"Why? I'd say you behaved very inappropriately when you just set me on a counter and had your way with me."

"It wasn't like that. I initiated it and I knew what I was doing-"

"Ahhh. I understand now. You didn't like that I was in control, did you? God you have so many trust issues Oslo."

"Whereas you just have _Issues_ " he snarled, rolling to the side and taking her with him so that she was underneath him "Why do you have to torment me?" He shook his head and rolled off her to stand on the floor, crossing the room to lean against the door. Deciding not to answer the strange question, Sasha pulled her top back on and lay back on one half of the bed. After a few moments, Oslo sighed and joined her, staying as far to the other side of the bed as possible.

"We'll have to start sleeping in each other's rooms overnight if this...whatever this is, is going to work." He nodded mutely, staring at the swirls of paint on the plaster ceiling. She rolled her eyes at his behaviour and snapped "Guess that's settled then. I'll see you back here in twenty minutes."

Throwing her legs off the bed, she turned herself invisible and left the room through the wall, satisfied that he couldn't follow her, since Thomas would expect them to both be in there together having a great time. Only a few minutes had passed after all and only she could escape unnoticed. The creep was actually still standing around the corner, listening expectantly. Resisting the urge to growl, she turned and stormed back through the wall into her bedroom and into visibility.

"He's still there. Make noises." She hissed. Oslo raised an eyebrow and half smiled.

"Excuse me?"

"Make sex noises! He's listening!" Grabbing hold of the bed she wiggled it so that it squeaked rhythmically and Oslo winced in realisation of what she wanted him to do. This was insane. She was looking at him expectantly as well. Suddenly, she gasped loudly and he raised an eyebrow until she sighed

"Ohhhhhhhhhh" Contacting her mentally, he stifled both the urge to laugh at the ridiculous nature of the situation they were in and the urge to grab her and make her make noises like that for real.

_You do realise you sound like...well_

_A whore, yes, now it's your turn. You Manwhore..._

He sensed the wink in what she was saying and gave in, groaning her name loud and low.

The next five minutes descended rapidly into the two of them laying side by side on the bed and pretending to make amorous love making noises whilst attempting to not laugh aloud. Both were watching each other and tears appeared in Sasha's eyes as she held back the giggles and also the butterflies in her stomach when Oslo made a lusty noise. He'd loosened up in the end and had endured her sordid idea. Sasha grinned, reached across to kiss him on the cheek and left the room to turn the shower on before coming back to curl up on her side next to him.

"I think we managed that rather well. Though I have to say one day I might have to get you in the sack _just _to hear some of those noises again. That one groan..."

"Was an artistically crafted expression of true lust."

"It sounded like a camel with a cough."

He shrugged. "It was an artistically crafted expression of true lust within a camel "

"Oh I see, sorry for my mistake..." She grinned, then it slid from her face "What are we Oslo."

"We're friends, Sasha. We have a common goal to find out more about the company, so that we can bring it down and better the Sphere."

"With you in charge?" She whispered

"Yes and you at my side. As my second in command, I mean, not in the way a wife is by a man's side." He corrected himself quickly, not allowing her to get any misunderstanding.

"I don't doubt that you will make it better. Under you it would run smoother, more efficiently. What I doubt is that you would make it fairer." She looked him directly in the eyes. "The Sphere kills people Oslo. It uses it's water for pretty rivers and fountains while people elsewhere die of thirst."

"I'd change that Sasha. I see no point in killing people if they aren't fighting me. The Sphere kills people because they are fighting the system. The people fight the system because it isn't fair. But if we make it fair, there won't be anyone fighting. We could end this war, Sasha. We'd change everything."

She smiled and looped her arm around his chest, hugging him sideways and drawing her leg up so she was laying half on top of him. His arms ringed her and pulled her fully on top of him so that she once more lay flat on his chest.

"Oslo?" She murmured and was rewarded with the sound of his voice vibrating through his chest underneath her;

"Yes?"

"If you're lying...I'll pull your balls off." She looked up into his wide eyed expression and flexed one hand "With my bare hands."

Oslo gulped.

* * *

><p>Dinner had been a quick and quiet affair, with Thomas looking in awe at Oslo ( Sasha had made sure to be very vocal on how wonderful she felt because of Oslo during their noise making session).<p>

Now it was 11pm and Sasha lay in the middle of her side of the bed, waiting for Oslo to come back from his jog and get into bed with her. Contrary to her calm outward appearance, inside she was dreading his return. She'd been sure to wear some sleep shorts and a soft cotton sports top to bed instead of her usual stark naked approach. No doubt Oslo would wear his tracksuit bottoms and white top. Surely he'd get hot in those? Maybe she should suggest... NO, Sasha.

The doorhandle turned and she automatically closed her eyes, not quite sure why she was reverting back to the childish act of pretending to sleep as soon as you saw someone coming in the room. It might on the other hand be better. If he thought she was asleep then maybe he'd be less awkward. After all, they had to repeat this tomorrow and the following nights until Thomas left the ship. The bed sunk as he got in the other side and turned off the light so that the red glare upon her eyelids was extinguished.

For a few moments everything was still, until suddenly she felt Oslo's hand gently stroking her hair, before starting down her cheek.

"I'm not asleep Oslo." She smirked and opened her eyes, watching him cough and roll over to face away from her. "Good night commander." His head jerked in response and she lay down facing him, smiling as she slipped easily into sleep.

* * *

><p>Oslo tossed and turned in the bed, heating up to an uncomfortable degree. After a few hours of fruitlessly trying to ignore it, he glanced over at Sasha to see her truly asleep and decided to chance opening the window. Throwing back the covers, he opened the window and a blast of cold air rushed in, making Sasha whimper and half open her eyes.<p>

"Osloooo, it's so c-cold! Close the window and take of your trousers." He snorted with laughter.

"What?"

"You're obviously hot, because it's summer, so just wear your boxers. I promise not to rape you in your sleep, now strip off and get back in bed."

That said, she scowled and looked away as he rolled his top over his head and took off his trousers, scuttling under the covers as quickly as possible.

He muttered a goodnight, feeling much better already, though he would never admit it.

* * *

><p>Sasha woke up in the morning to find Oslo attached, limpet-like to her back. The fronts of his legs moulded perfectly into the back of her legs, his face buried in her shoulder and his arms clutched around her chest in a tight but comfy embrace. She shifted slightly and he moaned, pulling her back.<p>

"Sasha, no don't go..." She giggled as he muttered in his sleep "I Love you."

Sasha froze. "Shit!" She hissed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Oh snap Oslo, you've done it now...read on for a chapter back on Puerto Angel. Thought I owed you two after the long way, however, THEY AREN'T COMPLETELY CHECKED, had no time, so sorry if there's errors. Review, throw things at me, cheer, whatever :) **


	13. Tears in Heaven

**Chapter Thirteen: Tears in Heaven**

_**Time can bring you down,  
>Time can bend your knees.<br>Time can break your heart,  
>Have you begging please, begging please.<strong>_

_**Beyond the door,  
>There's peace I'm sure,<br>And I know there'll be no more  
>Tears in heaven.<strong>_

_**Would you know my name  
>If I saw you in heaven?<br>Would it be the same  
>If I saw you in heaven?<strong>_

**( Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton and Will Jennings )**

* * *

><p><strong>June 7th 2252. Puerto Angel.<strong>

There was crying echoing from down the corridor and Charlotte cocked her head to listen, Diwan smiling when she realised who it could be. A quick glance around her confirmed that Dominic was fast asleep, his glasses flung carelessly on the night stand. A little smile spread across her face at the sight of him looking so blissfully unaware of trouble, the warm little flicker of affection she felt for him lighting up before her face twisted into a scowl. _Useless pirate. Causing chaos. _

Charlotte whimpered and clutched her head, hands snaking into her hair as she tried to dispatch this woman. She didn't understand. For the past few weeks she'd been having these...urges. Hearing a voice. A voice which wouldn't go away.

_Of course it wouldn't go away, because it's my body._

_Shut up. My name is Charlotte. I was here first. You were just a name on a scrap of metal. Then I started hearing you all the time, making me do things I don't want to do._

_You were here first? Hardly, "Charlotte" you're a fake. You were never born. You're a delusion. I've shown you our life. My life. Your life when you were me. What I remember of it._

_But we're not the same person! I wouldn't kill all those people. I couldn't have done that._

_I see. Well, thanks for the chat imbecile, now I think I'll be going._

Charlotte panicked, realising that while she had been focused on the argument, Diwan had been stealthily taking over her motor functions. Her body rose out of the hammock and crossed the temporary dorm to the door, approaching the person crying. Charlotte began shouting and screaming in protest, but Diwan tuned her out. She was in full control now. She'd been waiting quite a while, biding her time until she took over the body. What she didn't understand is why the intruder in her brain hadn't left. Why hadn't Charlotte faded from her mind? She was certainly the weaker of the two. Still, she was no trouble and maybe eventually she would just fall silent.

There was a girl outside on the deck of the odorous little vessel they were living upon, bawling her eyes out under the darkened sky. Why the little whinge bag hadn't gone home to do her dramatic weeping was beyond her. Perhaps she was hoping that somebody would come out and comfort her. Well, she got that and more, didn't she.

Shannon's arms drooped over the lower bar of the railing as she sat with her legs hanging off of the edge of the ship. She knew she was a mess. A really big one. Right now it didn't much matter. She'd been about to go on her way home from working a shift on the boat and running errands, as most inhabitants of the block did, when she'd received a letter from the town she'd been a refugee from. It was sphere controlled, mainly blocks of flats and run down old buildings. She'd only stayed there a month. She'd never really been one for settling since her parents died. Why stay in one place and conform to the rules when you could travel everywhere and do as you please?

Charlotte dropped down next to her, surprising her out of her musings. She'd never really talked to the girl. Then again, she never really got on with many girls. They tended to not like her very much since she was usually after their boyfriend.

"So what's up with you then?" Charlotte patted through her pockets and eventually held out a packet of cigarettes "I don't usually smoke, but I thought you might like one."

Shannon snorted. "Too right." She whipped one out and Charlotte lit it, taking one for herself as well. Shannon coughed slightly initially on the taste of the smoke, but then took a deep draw and left the smoke curl out from her lips.

"I got a letter. This girlfriend of a boy I once slept with. Apparently she killed herself. Because of them splitting up."

"Bit dramatic of her." Charlotte commented, blowing a smoke ring nonchalantly. Diwan had never been a smoker, but she had found that for some people smoking was like alcohol – it put them off their guard. Made them relax and made the questions seem like friendly enquiries instead of interrogations. You had to know the type.

"Sort of. I...well. I guess I have a think for games." Shannon sighed, shrugging "I like to win people, you know? I just find myself going after people who would normally be unattainable because they're "taken". Makes it more fun. I never keep them. It's just something to stop me from going just a little bit crazy out on the road alone, to know that I'm so desirable that I can do that. It...gives me power, you know?"

"Yeah...like when you mind fuck someone, just because you know you can. Just to prove to yourself you can do it."

"Sort of, yes. But anyway, this couple were really attached. I mean, at the time it was my biggest achievement. I was laughing my ass off."

"Oh?"

"They were getting married, they'd been a couple for five years, since school and he'd looked at no other. I'd known them for a couple of weeks and the bride; Emily? Judy? Something, was this really nice blonde hair, blue eye, butter-wouldn't-melt kind. She'd even invited me along to be a bridesmaid. She didn't like me and she didn't know me, but she was nice to me 'cause she was nice to everyone."

"What happened?"

"I was at the church, organising the seating. I worked my magic and suddenly we're in his dressing room doing it. Then he decides on the spot that he doesn't want to marry her, we run on out to his car and ride off. Emily, or Judy – Oh I remembered, it was Susie, arrived to find an empty altar and everybody gossiping about how her "solid" boyfriend of five years had just run off with her bridesmaid."

Charlotte snorted with laughter and flicked away the cigarette butt. "Why are you so cut up about it? It isn't your fault if the stupid bitch killed herself for a man who, if he hadn't slept with you, would have eventually slept with someone else. If he was that great a man, he would never have cheated. So clearly, he's a cunt. Which means he isn't worth killing yourself over."

A smirk upturned Shannon's lips before she frowned. "So you're saying that you totally approve of me stealing other people's men and that I'm in the right?"

"Well, the rebellion think they're in the right but I'm pretty sure that the Sphere also think that _they _are right. You could never do anything without someone in the world thinking that it was not "right" to do that. You can only ever do what you think is right and ignore those who say it isn't."

"I think I love Mahad." Shannon blurted out and looking down at her hands. "Weird really, to say that. But I'm not after him to play a game. I mean, at first he didn't even have a girlfriend. So I was trying to do things properly. Then Dahlia crashed the scene, lost a kidney, gained a baby and suddenly they're openly in love and he's even moving in with her... Because of the baby I guess. Just my luck really. People had said to me that there was unresolved romantic tension between them, but I dismissed it because I thought I had a good chance..."

"If the baby wasn't born you would have a chance."

"Yeah, but it's hardly not going to be born, is it? She's pregnant so that's the end of it."

"There's all sorts of ways she might lose the baby. There's natural thing, like illnesses that get in the way, or there's other ways like pills. She might just...accidentally miscarry. Then you would have a clear shot-"

"Just what are you sayin' Charlotte?" Shannon stood, throwing down her cigarette and stamping it out. "I am not that desperate that I would wish losing her baby on Dahlia, just to get Mahad. You're acting like...Like I would actually want to cause her to lose the baby. That's just..horrible! It's murder!"

"Abortion isn't considered murder, it's considered a-"

"Well consider this conversation closed. I don't know what kinda crazy person you are Charlotte, but I ain't a baby killer. I may well be a bitch, but I ain't a murderin' one."

With that said, Shannon stormed off of the boat. Diwan shrugged and stood, dusting herself off. The girl hadn't been as cooperative as she'd hoped, but it was probably better this way. Her accent had been interesting though, towards the end. It was almost like when she got angry, her speech slipped back into its natural sound. Still, it was surprising that she had noticed Diwan's subtle hints since the sphere agent had pegged her as a useful idiot. However, that didn't matter. It was true that if you wanted a job done well, you do it yourself.

Diwan strolled along the plank and off of the ship, heading towards the block's one and only hospital. The hospital also serviced several of the other surrounding pirate blocks, since Hospitals were rare now. They only had a few doctors who were rebel sympathisers and those were ones who had learnt their trade off of their parents. Any doctors trained today were educated in the privileged universities upon sphere blocks and then sent off to Sphere-run facilities.

The hospital on Puerto Angel was well lit, but not her actual target. Alongside the hospital was a single storey warehouse in which all the pharmaceutical goods were stored after raids. Walking quietly alongside the edge of the building, she quickly ducked out of view of a security camera and pulled on a balaclava she had in one pocket just in case. Reaching down, she picked up a stone, tested its weight and balance before leaning around the corner and throwing it steadily at the camera. The rock hit the camera with a dull clunk and made it spin on its stand, turning it to the right and giving Diwan a clear path down to the window on the side of the building. The security here was terrible – nobody expected any break ins because nobody needed to steal anything. Everything was shared out on the island – they were all friends and family. She slid up the window and squeezed through, dropping carefully to the ground within the storage room. There were dim lights on and she headed towards the area she'd spotted a few days ago.

On one of Charlotte's assignments she'd been bringing boxes of medicine from the harbour to the hospital. Charlotte hadn't known what any of the names of medicine meant, but Diwan had spotted one – mifepristone and prostaglandin. The pills for medical abortion. Dahlia could only be about 7 weeks pregnant, so it was still possible to interfere just with a pill. She took a box of each type and slipped through the aisles and out of the window, closing it behind her.

Now all she had to do was find some way to slip a crushed pill into a drink somehow...

* * *

><p><strong>June 10th Dahlia's house<strong>

"Thank you all for coming! Hey, come on in Maria and all the rest of you" Dahlia grinned at Maria's extended family standing on her porch. They all filed in and took off their boots, admiring the newly painted walls.

"You been doing some decorating Dahlia?" Maria and her friend wandered off into the hallway, talking about Dahlia's decision to forget the past and make the house her own instead of clinging to her parent's memories. Diwan shrugged off her coat and sighed exasperatedly.

"You alright?" Dom was smiling at her and strangely, Diwan felt herself smiling back and offering a nod. He ruffled his hands through his hair as the others all spread out further into the house. The family really was large. There had been twenty children to begin with, although two had only been toddlers really. Now those two toddlers were the brooding teenage twins Sophie and James, at sixteen years old. There was then Pippa, Aaron, Isaac, Tomay, Helena, Marisol, Avina, Nikolina, Jeyna, Louis, Duncan, William, Elliot, Jack and Darragh.

Diwan rolled her eyes. Too many names to remember. Dominic's arm was around her companionably and that was all that mattered- _WHAT THE HELL! Get away from him! I'm the one who loves him!_ Charlotte's voice rang through her head like a siren and she scowled. The irritating woman still hadn't gone away. Her emotions were even seeping through into everything she did. She couldn't sleep at night because Charlotte was harrowing her and accusing her about her plans to destroy Dahlia's baby.

"Hey Charlotte! Could you lend a hand in the kitchen for a moment?" Helena called through from the kitchen and Diwan quickly left Dominic behind, uneasy about the emotion she was feeling as a bi-product of  
>Charlotte's presence in her mind.<p>

For a while she helped a few of the other women as the scurried around the kitchen piling foods onto plates and drinks onto trays. The atmosphere was loud and cheerful, something Diwan was entirely unused to compared to the austere halls of the Sphere.

_Why are you doing this? Why would you hurt that tiny baby? _Charlotte continued to ask her questions and comment on what she was doing, so Diwan decided to answer for once so she could block out the women around her.

_The gene for seijin ability has occasionally been known to skip generations. It is possible that this child will be a seijin. Mahad is a carrier of the gene from his mother – If the circumstances are correct, the child could be powerful. The rebellion has already gained two powerful seijins. If this child proves to have inherited its family power, it could be a threat to the Sphere._

_You aren't part of the Sphere anymore! They think you're dead. They've given someone else your position! _

_Lies. They will welcome me back with open arms. I now know where your pirate rebellion is based. Now I need only lie low and gather a little more information and deal with the child before I return victorious!_

_You'll never manage it. Someone will figure out what you've done and stop you._

"Charlotte, can you just pour me a glass of water? I'm going to sit down, I feel a little bit sick." Dahlia smiled from the doorway before turning and heading towards the garden, where the barbecue to celebrate her pregnancy was starting. The others in the room began joking about morning sickness and swapping stories.

It was a perfect opportunity. Slipping a small vial of the crushed pill from her sleeve, she emptied it into a glass of water, swirling the liquid until the powder dissolved completely.

Carrying it out into the garden, she was hindered by Charlotte battering at the mental block between them, trying to regain control of her own motor functions. Diwan maintained the barrier with a grimace, pushing Charlotte back into the furthest corners of the mind they were currently sharing. It was very confusing where she started and Charlotte began in this confusing internal battle, but there was no doubt that they were both very different people. Charlotte was alternating between crying and screaming at her to leave Dahlia alone – pathetic really.

Dahlia smiled and thanked Charlotte as she handed over the cup of water. Diwan smiled blandly back as the glass was raised ever so slowly to her lips. _DON'T DRINK IT DAHLIA! NO STOP! STOP! _The last of the liquid disappeared into Dahlia's mouth and Charlotte stopped her mental screaming. Diwan had won.

* * *

><p><strong>June 11th 2052 Dahlia and Mahad's house<strong>

At three in the morning, Dahlia woke up and bolted for the bathroom, keeling over to retch into the toilet noisily. Wiping her mouth, she pressed a hand to her stomach and winced, not understanding why she was suddenly in pain again. Mahad stumbled in half asleep and pulled her hair back from her face, which is a very touching gesture when you're being this sick.

"Mahad – I feel really sick."

"Hospital. Now." He stood grimly, pulling her with him.

"It's fine, probably just morning sickness. Forget about it..."

"Let's not chance it, yeah? Don't forget you have your kidney _and _the baby to worry about. As well as the rest of you."

"Mm, okay. But promise I'll get waffles in the morning."

Mahad chuckled "Dahlia, I would give you anything if I got to see your face one the pillow next to me every day. It will only stay there every day if you let me take care of you." Dahlia smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck and smacked a delirious kiss on his cheek.

"Ooooh you charmer. Now carry me, because I sure can't walk..."

* * *

><p><strong>June 11th 2252 Puerto Angel Hospital<strong>

Dr Jerome Kent frowned at the results of the toxicology tests they had done on Dahlia's blood. There wasn't anything unusual, except... This would need discussing privately with the patient. He smiled at the young couple. He was aware of Dahlia's case, being a local of the area. Still, it said in her notes that she had been willing to keep the baby.

"Could I ask you to step outside for a moment please, this is of a personal nature to the the patient." Dahlia frowned, but Mahad just nodded and slouched out, waving a kiss goodbye to his girlfriend.

Jerome took off his glasses, massaging his brow with one hand. "Is there something wrong Doctor?"

"No, a long shift, that's all." He replaced the glasses, knowing how to begin now. "Well, Miss..Shakespeare? Well that's a nice interesting surname to have."

Dahlia shrugged, smiling. "It's as common as any other. My English teacher often had a chuckle when calling my name during registration."

"Hmm, I suppose so. But anyway, what I wanted to talk about is your condition. I believed that you had eaten something which interfered with your treatment for your various injuries from your recent accident. I was right, however..."

He threw down the clipboard. "The thing which has reacted with your medication and caused you to be so violently ill is a widely used pill, however, I was not aware of your intent to use this. Very tricky indeed considering you need the permission of two doctors to take it and it must be taken under supervision."

"I haven't taken anything though. What is this pill?"

"It's called mifepristone and it is the pill which a woman would take to abort a child."

"WHAT! I wouldn't! How?"

"Please, please calm down. Now, horrible as it is to say, but I believe that someone may have slipped it to you. Have you eaten anything prepared by somebody else in the last day?"

"Wha- Yes, we had a barbecue with _friends_ yesterday. Everybody brought a different dish along. None of them would do this. But...Is the baby safe? Is it okay? Did I sick up all the bad stuff that would have killed it? Will i-"

"Miss Shakespeare." The doctor stated calmly, waiting for Dahlia to stop fretting. "There are many types of abortion. This type, medical abortion, takes place in two stages. Administering Mifepristone is only the first stage. A second pill must be given to you 48 hours later. I suggest that you do not tell anyone that someone has tried to do this to you and be wary of people who offer you food. Do not eat anything which you have not prepared yourself. You may be able to find the culprit by remaining alert and seeing who tries to offer you food tomorrow, when the 48 hour deadline arrives."

"But who would do this? Everyone on the block is tolerant of each other, we're like a big family..."

" I don't know. But you are just about eight weeks into pregnancy, yes? After the ninth week, medical abortion is no longer an option because the baby is too well situated. So for the next few weeks be vigilant. Make sure you drink from a bottle of water you have filled up yourself and suchlike. I will require you back on...lets make it the 25th for your first ultrasound and check up."

Dr Kent smiled and opened the door for Mahad to re-enter, before leaving after a swift nod at Dahlia. She simply smiled briefly then inhaled Mahad's scent as his arms appeared around her. Someone tampering with her pregnancy?

"Why'd he send me out? What's going on?" Mahad was scowling at being left out, but Dahlia quickly decided that it would stay that way for now.

"Nothing important. I can leave though, I'm fine to stay at home. So you'd better get ready to be up early making me those waffles..."

Her wonderfully ignorant boyfriend groaned and tickled her sides quickly, eliciting a giggle, before taking her hand and walking with her towards the exit.

* * *

><p>As they lay back in bed hours later, Mahad's light snoring present in her ear and his limbs wrapped tightly around her like a barnacle, she finally allowed herself to admit why she hadn't told Mahad.<p>

_What if it was him? What if he doesn't actually want this baby? _Dahlia fretted silently, tears gathering in her eyes as she suspected everything and everyone but as always found no answers. Why couldn't this have been a simple, easy pregnancy? She wondered as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Bet you all had forgotten Diwan, hadn't you? Well...she's BAAAAACK! The song at the beginning is about the accidental death and loss of a child, written by a father who lost his child. It's beautiful and Very, Very sad. Just for the purpose of people knowing where I stand, I would never personally have an abortion, but I believe that it's totally right that women should have the freedom of choice and power over their own bodies. Don't kill me for the attempt at killing Dahlia's baby please MaD fans. Really, don't because there's more plot twists coming. **


	14. Don't look back into the Sun

**A/N Wow, such mixed reception of the last few chapters! I've got some people begging for hints and some being annoyed at Dahlia's surname. About the surname – we never get told her surname, so I gave her one. Yes, I did indeed give her the surname Shakespeare, after the man who is renowned for being one of the most famous poets and play writers the world has known. He wrote my favourite love poem, so I gave a small nod to him. Sorry if you don't like it, but that's pretty tough, because that's the name I've given her. You won't have to dislike it for too long. And THAT last sentence, Aussie Shelia, is your hint ;)**

**Chapter Fourteen: Don't look back into the sun**

**_They'll never forgive you but they wont let you go, oh no_  
><em>She'll never forgive you but she won't let you go, oh no<em>**

**_Don't look back into the sun_**  
><strong><em>You've cast your pearls now you're on the run<em>**  
><strong><em>And all the lies you said, who did you save?<em>**

**( The Libertines - Don't look back into the Sun )**

* * *

><p><strong>June 5th 2252 (7.12 am) : Flagship Olympus<strong>

Her heart thudded to a stop within her. He couldn't have said that. There was no way. She relaxed. No. He would never. Considering it was stupid. He had NOT said that he loved her. Besides...what did it matter even if he had said that? She certainly didn't love him. Plus he was asleep – there was no way he meant it. There was no way it could ever be said between the two of them and meant. No way in Hell. So why was it so disappointing that he didn't really mean it?

Behind her, Oslo shifted and sighed, his face twisting sideways into her neck and nuzzling into the area just below her jawbone. _God he wriggles around a lot. I wonder if I should try and wake him. I'm so comfortable though. He's surprisingly warm and – oh my god he's topless. And not wearing anything but his boxers. Jesus if he wakes up he's going to freak out. It's so early...eurgh I want to sleep. Really should sort this out. _

She twisted slowly, feeling his arms shift around her but he didn't remove them. Finally, when she was nose to nose with him she slumped and glared at his sleeping form. The dawn was filtering through the slit in her curtains, lighting up his face and giving it a pale glow. The shadows under his eyes were deeper now that she looked at them. Everything about him was tired. Why hadn't she seen it before? Thinking back, she realised how dishevelled he had appeared in the kitchen when she arrived back a few days ago. He'd been neglecting to keep up his shaved appearance, he said he'd been having trouble sleeping. His heart pounded regularly and she felt it beneath her palm, rising and falling within his chest. The man she had blamed, had cursed bitterly for years for taking her away from her family, for indirectly making her become part of the Sphere. Sleeping peacefully beside her, at her mercy. One quick motion and she could reach inside and stop that cold, black heart.

But it wasn't quite black, was it? Neither was it a shade of grey – with him everything was either black or white. He was either one or the other and nothing in between. There was the light parts of him, like how he'd cooked with her in the kitchen the other day. He hadn't joked around – but he had received her jokes without making an acerbic remark. Sometimes he even chuckled a little. Thinking about it, he always seemed relaxed when he was cooking with her. Like the night of her date with Cam when they'd had a little competition. The night she'd found out that he couldn't cook at all. His recipe book wound up covered in flour and smeared with eggs. It had baffled her that he had somehow managed to get most of the egg shell into the cake mix, yet spilt most of the egg yolk over the counter top and himself.

She giggled and snapped back to the present. They should both be up and making their way to breakfast, but Oslo looked like he could sleep through a hurricane right now. Time to free herself and get dressed. Wrapping her fingers around his hands, she lifted one arm slowly and smoothly before rolling out of his grip and off the bed. It was hardly elegant and she made plenty of noise when she clattered to the floor, but at least she was free of him. Her wardrobe and the prospect of hot sweet tea and bacon called to her. Time to get dressed and get food.

Oslo shifted in his light doze when there was a loud thump from next to him. His eyes cracked open and beheld the sight of his second in command staggering to her feet. Her hair was frazzled from sleep and her eyes were half lidded like a contented cat. His half asleep mind appreciated the curved tone of her legs and how she ran her hand through her mane of hair, yawning long and loud. He briefly mused that if she were an animal, Sasha would undoubtedly be a lioness. Beautiful, full of poise and grace, yet extremely territorial and defensive. What did that make him, he wondered? Pondering the question was interrupted by the sudden awareness that Sasha was walking towards her wardrobe whilst simultaneously pulling her top over her head and rewarding him with the sight of her bare chest. Suddenly he was wide awake and deeply ashamed of the situation, despite it not being his fault at all. His face was colouring, he realised with mortification. If she saw him blushing like this she'd know that he'd seen her changing through his half closed eyes. Her back was to him and as she started to slid down her shorts he was both grateful and dismayed that the blood began to rush downwards. Closing his eyes, he firmly resolved to resist the perverted urge to watch. It would only give more fuel to his wasted fantasies of her and if she caught him, it would drive her further away from him.

_When did it happen? When did I suddenly want her to stay with me after all this is over? Why am I still tempted to sneak a peek at her? How many more days will Thomas stay? How many days do I have left with her?_

* * *

><p><strong>June 5<strong>**th**** 2252 (1.52 PM ) : Flagship Olympus; Oslo's office**

"Are you kidding me? This place is impossible!" Sasha exclaimed, glaring accusingly at the blueprints.

"You only asked me to get hold of the layout of Burton's factory and offices. You didn't ask me for it to be easy." Oslo smirked over the top of his steeped fingertips at her in a way that would have made some women swoon at the sheer arrogant bravado. It made her want to punch him, but she restricted herself to just huffing and shooting him a dirty look. Oslo was useful to have around, especially when he could get his hands on information like this.

"Only lucky thing about this is that this guy is like a machine. His routine is like clockwork – so if we can find a way in, we know exactly when to break him and when he'll be there. So at least it's good that you got a report of his movements." She admitted grudgingly, knowing that he had done well and hating him for being so damn good. Because it only made him more insufferably arrogant.

"It wasn't easy. But there's now nobody on the council who is also on the board of governors. So nobody is questioning my interest. For the time being. Can you find a way in?" His gaze pierced her and she swallowed thickly. The way he looked at her could be pretty intense sometimes. She never knew whether it was intense in a good or a bad way.

"I'm a freaky ghost woman who walks through walls, flies and shoots energy balls from my fingertips. I will find a way." She rolled up the paper and dropped it into it's tube casing. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. There is a yearly charity ball and I need a plus one."

"What like a date?"

"It's purely professional" He asserted quickly.  
>"Oh. Okay then. Sure." He raised an eyebrow at her reluctance but decided not to comment. He'd only get his head ripped off by a sarcastic reply.<p>

Sasha left the room, slamming the door behind her and startling Kiya, who was working at her desk in the antechamber. The woman cocked her head to one side in an unspoken question, then shrugged and mouthed "Want to get lunch?". Sasha bit her lip and gave a jerky nod.

* * *

><p><strong><span>June 5<span>th (2 PM) : Flagship Olympus; Staff Canteen**

"I don't get it, what's the big deal? I thought you and Oslo were..."

"Screwing? No, not exactly..."

"But do you want to be?"

"NO! God, no. I don't know. I don't think I do. Look, Kiya... I'm confused. He asked me to go to a fancy dinner party with him and I was really happy. Right until he said it was all professional."

"So you do like him?"

"NO! I hate him! He handed me over to the sphere when he was younger and now he's the one keeping me in their service."

"I thought your family escaped? He's got nothing to blackmail you with now, so leave." Kiya smiled and took a sip of her drink, surveying the emotions that flew across Sasha's face.

"At first I was staying so I could feed information to the rebellion." She finally whispered, trying to gauge Kiya's reaction, whilst at the same time checking that nobody was nearby. "Do you...I mean, well. You helped me with Cam. So..."

"I sympathise with the rebel cause. Personal reasons." Kiya smiled brightly. "Don't look around but that guy who's been watching you and Oslo just came in the room. Laugh like we're joking, would you? Okay he's looked away. But I think we should take this conversation elswhere. Don't you?"

Sasha followed Kiya's lead as she disposed of her tray in the rack near the door ( noting that the staff had a much lower quality of food than she and Oslo could expect) and pushed her way through the crowded corridors under the house. Everywhere there were reminders that this was a military ship; computer terminals lined the walls and there were guards at every corner or intersection. The house she and Oslo occupied on the upper deck was sitting on top of a miniature city, a warren of tunnels and hidden away crannies. She'd never realised quite how big the place was though.

"This is my room. We should be undisturbed." Kiya slapped her hand onto a scanner and the door whirred open to reveal a small room with a bed in one corner, a wardrobe in the other and two doors.

"Just sit down on here." Kiya indicated the bed "Take your shoes off and make yourself comfy." Sasha complied, feeling slightly embarrassed that her friend had to live in such cramped conditions when her own room was big enough to house two people. She remembered living in places like this when she was lower down in the Sphere, but it still made her feel guilty.

"Now. I think you like him. AH! Don't argue, let me finish. I think that you put all the blame for what happened to you on him because he was the most visible person. He represented the sphere and you hated the sphere – so you blamed him. But he didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"He was the one that captured me."

"He was doing what he thought was right. The Sphere had put out a story that you were a murderer – how was he meant to know they'd torture you and blackmail you into working for them?"

Sasha shook her head stubbornly. She wouldn't accept this. She couldn't. "I can't think, Kiya. I...He...GOD!" She thumped her head backwards against the wall. "I won't let myself love him. I...I forgive him, I think. I've spent too much time with him to hold a grudge. But there's so much more at stake than how we might feel. He said he loved me, last night while he was sleeping. But even if I could return that, it would only end badly."

"You're being negative, don't worry so much. Nothing is impossible-"

"Kiya, I'm currently trying to locate and eradicate the member of a secret society that successfully blew up an entire planet and the only people I have helping me is you and Oslo on an on and off basis. No offence to either of you, but everything sounds pretty impossible right now." She was crying angry bursts of tears, wiping them away with the backs of her clenched hands. Kiya sighed.

"You need to not be so idle. You need to be working at something, making some progress. That'll make you feel better. Go off and play pretend with Oslo. I've got something in mind..."

* * *

><p><strong>June 14th 2252 (10.12 pm) : Flagship Olympus<strong>

Sasha waved goodbye and tried to keep the grin off of her face as Thomas' ship lifted off the ground in a lazy arc, getting further and further away until it left sight. She relaxed against Oslo's side, burying her head into his neck. Without even thinking he wrapped his other arm around her and turned her fully into his chest, planting his feet on either side of her feet as she snuggled against him.

"Finally" She breathed against his neck and he felt a pang in his stomach. It had been over much too soon. He'd grown accustomed to having her around over the past few days. He'd got used to being able to touch her, kiss her whenever he wanted. The past few mornings he'd woken up with her laying on top of him, beside or next to him. It didn't matter what position he found them in; she was always close to him, sleeping with her mouth in a relaxed smile, so close to him that he could count the freckles on her upper cheeks. He found himself waking up before her as often as possible, just to try and get a glimpse of her sleeping. She'd never caught him, thankfully. He made sure to always pretend to be asleep as soon as she woke up and got out of bed, stretching her arms upwards and rolling her neck, unintentionally tossing her hair in an enticing way.

Rubbing his hands over her lower back, he rubbed the side of his cheek against the top of her head, trying to memorise how this moment felt. This was the type of moment that he wanted to take and press in a book like you would with a flower; to preserve it so that one day when he was old he could look back and remember every tiny feeling. But then she broke away and looked him straight in the eye, smiling at something. His breath stilled as he waited, their faces inches apart as she searched his face, licked her lips nervously and moved forward ever so slightly. His heart roared into action – then she turned and walked away.

He watched her go, the hope he'd momentarily felt dropping like a lead weight. She vanished through the newly repaired door to the house and he turned, punching a nearby tree trunk. Splinters shot into his hand as the tree moaned in protest.

"Dammit." He threw himself down at the base of the tree. _This is foolish. It was only ever to test these strange feelings. It was only ever to protect her from – no, not protect her. It was so that Thomas wouldn't remove one of my greatest assets. Yes. She doesn't matter. All that matters now is the company. We've not been working hard enough. I must overthrow those idiots and take this world as my own. Never mind one woman. Never mind THAT woman. She is only one person. What does she matter to me?_

* * *

><p>Sasha collapsed face first onto her bed, groaning into the covers and whacking her pillows with both fists. For a second back then everything had seemed so perfect. No pressure, no worries, nobody needing her protection. Oh, she loved her family, but sometimes it was a burden to be the one expected to sort everything out, to find a solution. The world always seemed to clamour for her attention, fix this, sort that. Her powers meant that people sought after her for help. All the time. Oslo never asked her for anything, really. He was fiercely independent. Yes, he liked to order people around, but he never needed protecting, or rescuing. He was moody and reclusive and GOD HE ANNOYED HER! But the past few days had been unexpectedly nice. For once there was someone looking after her. Someone who made her breakfast in bed. Okay, so the eggs had been a little, ahem, <em>crunchy... <em>But he'd grinned like a happy child when she ate it all. Or like a very smug man. Which he was. She could provide a mile long list of his faults. The number one issue was that most of the world hated him. The rest of them could only just about stand him. Kiya didn't necessarily approve, but kept insisting that Sasha liked him. She knew the girl was right, deep down. But that didn't mean she was going to go and jump into his bed and beg him to take her right there and then. Even though the idea was pretty appealing.

Sasha rolled over onto her back and stared upwards unseeing. So she liked him. Well great. Another thing to stress about. Maybe one day she'd get to deal with it. Right now there was more than enough for her to be focusing on. Kiya had promised to reveal her grand idea in two days time. For a while she wondered what it could be whilst willing her body to go to sleep. However, sleep slipped through her fingers like water. Finally she remembered that she was meant to take sleeping pills for her insomnia. She'd never reordered them from the pharmacist after that first night when Oslo had come into her room and rescued her from nightmares. There hadn't been a need. When Oslo slept in her room she fell asleep easily, curled up into the warmth of his body. The other half of her bed was cold and empty. The clock hands were almost at midnight by now. She forced herself to focus on the ticking sound, hoping it would lull her to sleep.

After another half an hour she gave up and got out of bed, tiptoeing through the corridor to Oslo's room and pushing the door open a tiny crack. The bed was empty and neatly made. Pushing the door open wider, she stepped over the threshold into the room. Was he still working in his office at this hour? Maybe she should check there-

"Don't you know how to knock?" A wry voice coming from the chair near the window made her flinch in surprise. Oslo's head poked out around it, his eyes cold and distant.

"I couldn't sleep."

"How awful for you." His voice dripped apathy and she looked at his eyes again. So lifeless all of a sudden. If the eyes really were the windows of the soul, he'd drawn the curtains and shielded himself once more.

"I was wondering if..." She stopped, realising just how stupid what she wanted was. The need to just be with him had drawn her into the room and now she was here there was no explanation she could find. No excuse to be with him. If she asked him if she could stay now, she could not blame it on another motive. The only possible reason for her going to him was that she wanted to be with him. But he mustn't know that she wanted to be with him; Sasha was a realist and knew that she would only be giving him leverage over her if he knew.

"Yes?" He prompted her and she looked back at him, her racing mind slowing back down to the present.

"Never mind." She shook her head and turned to leave but stopped when he sighed and asked her to wait. He said nothing further, so she boldly decided to approach the chair. He was slouched in the enormous armchair, one hand gripping the armrest and the other pinching the bridge of his nose, his face contorted into a frown that she found ever so slightly sexy on him. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, tentatively letting his hand stretch out to touch her face. Her cheeks flushed slightly as he made contact, her left hand snaking up through the air to hold his hand firmly against her.

Oslo battled with what he should do and what he wanted to do. He should push her away and out of this room. He should keep this relationship professional. He should be using her a tool to bring down the company, allowing him to be in full control of the sphere and therefore Skyland, before disposing of her quietly. But what he really ached to do was seize her in his arms and run out of the door, "borrow" a ship from the launch bay and head out into the open sky. To do something different with the same person every day of his life. The thought occurred to him that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he couldn't be king of the world, as long as he was king of _their _world until his ambition suddenly stamped on the dreams. No. Too long had he worked on building this little empire. Too long had he grovelled and manipulated to get this high ranking position. His dream was to take charge, to bring a golden age to the world. He'd first hoped to do it with Mila by his side; but that was in the idiocy of youth. He would not dare to dream of both ruling this world _and _having Sasha by his side. Fate would never be so kind to him. Sasha would never be his lover. He had to choose between which to pursue and the most successful path did not lie with trying to seduce Sasha. He looked up at her again, marvelling at how she was leaning into his touch with her eyes closed and mouth half open in bliss. The lids of her eyes fluttered and his guarded expression slid back into place, the order for her to leave immediately rolling to the tip of his tongue.

"Please."

The simple word tumbled from her lips and ruined his attempt to keep her at a safe distance. It melted the cold façade he'd put on to try and dissuade her from seeking to be close to him. This closeness would inevitably end sometime, and he would be in agony; but that time wasn't now. Right now she was standing in front of him, begging for him to let her stay. So he spread his legs and she sat down between them with her back to his chest and her head on his shoulder beside his head, neither of them speaking a word. Both of them felt content to relax in the silence of the early morning starlight and enjoy the feel of each others' presence.

* * *

><p><strong>June 14th 2252 (10.15 am ) : Mahad and Dahlia's house<strong>

Maria ripped off the lid of the microwaveable chocolate pudding, shoved it inside the microwave and nuked it for all it was worth. _This situation requires chocolate. And tissues. Then more chocolate. Maybe some cake too, cake is always good..._

The device pinged and she took out the two little bowls of chocolatey goodness, moved over to the counter, leant and awkwardly gripped a box of tissues beneath her arm, dithered around until she found the spoons then grinned to herself. _Ready._

In the living room, Dahlia lay curled under a blanket on the sofa, gazing into the empty fireplace. Maria plunked down the bowls onto the glass coffee table and tossed the box at Dahlia, who blinked when it hit her lap and looked at Maria in a hurt fashion.

"Now, girl. What the hell is happening in your head?" Dahlia sniffed and looked away out of the window.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit." Dahlia's head snapped round to shoot her an evil look

"Don't use that language in front of the baby!"

"The baby is like an inch long and looks like a squid right now. Deal with it. So help me I will keep swearing and forever damaging your poor squid-child's mind unless you tell me why you went completely psycho back there!"

"BECAUSE!" Shouted Dahlia, before visibly deflating and beckoning her closer, "Because he tried to feed me something."

"He cooked you breakfast in bed! I had a look and he did a pretty decent job as well! Crispy bacon in a soft buttered roll. I'd be fucking ecstatic if Wayan managed to cook something that decent for me."

Dahlia huffed and rolled her eyes, beckoning her even closer so that they were almost nose to nose and whispering "Tell anyone this and you're toast, all right Maria? Swear you won't tell anyone? I...I don't know who else to trust. You were the first to know about the baby and you were so supportive, so I reckon I can trust you and Wayan. Someone...tried to drug me. They tried to kill my baby."

Maria's face was deadpan – completely devoid of emotion as she simply sat there in front of Dahlia, totally mute. The minute hand on the clock clicked loudly in the silence and Maria snapped violently into action, firing off questions quickly without pause for breath.

"WHO? WHEN WAS THIS? Why didn't you _tell me this before? _I'll wring their necks! I'll -"

"SHHHHHH!" Dahlia hissed, her mouth creasing into a smile at Maria's outraged reaction. "Someone slipped me an abortion pill. But it's okay, because it's got to be done in two stages and they only managed to give me the first pill. But I don't know who did it – So I've been only eating food that I've prepared myself, only drinking from a specific bottle which I keep with me at all times..." Dahlia trailed off, rubbing her brow "It's been so hard, being this careful. Part of me is wondering if Mahad did it. He says he wants the baby, but who knows?"

Maria coughed and spluttered, trying to hold in her laughter "Is that why you went all crazy at Mahad earlier? Because you thought he was drugging you?"

"Yeah. Don't laugh at me!" Dahlia added when she saw Maria's eyes twinkling with mirth "It might be true! He might be..."

"He really isn't Dahlia. But if it makes you feel better, I will join your diet police and make sure all your food was prepared by someone trustworthy. You should tell him." Dahlia shook her head, finishing off the last of her chocolate pudding.

"Nah. It doesn't matter. He'll just get really concerned and act like I'm made of glass. I want to get to the bottom of this myself. I don't need Mahad getting under my feet."

The women laughed and chatted for a while longer about inconsequential things like the hot weather and some more important things like where the next raid would be. Cortes was getting hyped up about a major retrieval operation on one of the major sphere blocks. They both knew that all it would spell would be trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>June 16th 2252 : (7.00 am) Flagship Olympus<strong>

"Okay, let's go" hissed Kiya, dragging Sasha along by the hand. Their feet made a crunching noise as they headed down the gravel path around the side of the house. Sasha had always avoided the deeply forested section of the ship's surface, simply because the idea of being in such an enclosed space, unable to see others approaching unnerved her. It seemed that this was their destination though, so she fought down her trepidation as Kiya swung open the metal gate in the wall that marked the edge of the gardens and ushered her through.

The forest crept up around them, growing denser as they moved further in. There was a path somewhere off to their right, but Kiya insisted that they needed somewhere enclosed. Somewhere away from prying eyes.

Finally they reached a small space beneath the tendril-like branches of a weeping willow and Kiya sat down on the crisp grass. Sasha followed her lead, wincing as the dry grass prickled her legs.

"So, what's this big project you're so excited about?" Kiya shook back her hair and leant against the trunk of the tree.

"Well, a friend of mine had a mashed up radio from an old Sphere outpost which he was going to get rid of, _but_" Kiya winked "I managed to convince him to give it to me. It's pretty basic, all we've got is a microphone headset attached to a transmitting box."

Sasha sat up straight "It's fully working? Will others be able to detect transmissions? Can we-"

"Woah, hold on a second there. Yes, it works and yes the sphere will be able to detect the transmissions. From that they can triangulate a position and locate where you are sending the message from. _However_ if you strapped the transmitter onto your back, you could fly somewhere different every day, sending messages to the rebellion, warning people about where the Sphere is going to strike next...you could do anything."

A bird crowed nearby, matching Sasha's triumphant mood. A way to contact the rebellion. Finally. She could work for the sphere by day, then by night she could aid the rebellion and try to discover a way to discover the council members and bring Moriarty to justice.

"What do we call it? The radio station." Kiya's face twisted in thought at Sasha's question.

"I don't know. Something impressive sounding. After all, we'll be the only truly free media source. The sphere controls everything else. The pirates have got a few local stations, but it's quite dangerous and they don't have the ability to broadcast it world wide. The Sphere set up a little network so that they can spout their propaganda to everyone, a network which you can only access if you've got sphere technology. Which we now have." Kiya shrugged, smiling smugly.

"Okay then. A good name." Sasha rubbed her eyes tiredly, not getting any bright ideas this early in the morning.

"We'll have to refer to each other by code names as well. I reckon we should just keep the ones we used before, sunshine and silver, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay. We could always just call it liberty radio? I mean, it's what we're aiming for isn't it?"

"Sounds sweet and simple, though I kind of wish we could have some really bad ass name for who we are. I mean, "the rebellion" sounds powerful and awesome, but we haven't actually got anyone except the two of us trying to pull this off."

"It's too risky to try and bring in others."

"Not even Oslo?" Teased Kiya, nudging Sasha, who slapped her off lightly. "I thought he was going all sweet on you and changing sides?"

"God only knows what Oslo is doing. He's probably covering all bases if I know him. He'll wait last second to jump on the bandwagon of whoever looks most likely to win. Until then, he keeps both sides friendly so that he can ally with the winner when this is all over. If it ever is all over. We can't trust him with this. This sort of thing will put the sphere in chaos; all he is interested in is bringing down his superiors so that he has total control of the sphere. He wouldn't take kindly to us ruining the tool that he will one day need to rule over the earth."

"No offence to your boyfriend, but he is seriously messed up. Ruling the world is a bit too far really isn't it?"

Sasha shrugged and stood up, picking up the bag. " I don't know. He wants to rule it so that he can make the whole system better. Also, he's not my boyfriend."

"Ah but you wish he was" Winked Kiya, giggling as her superior officer stormed away without looking back. _One day soon, She's going to give in. Or he will. It's a close call; they're both as stubborn as each other. She's determined not to be distracted from her goal and he's determined not to open up to her. It'll either be true love or heartbreak. But whatever happens, I hope it damn well hurries up, because waiting for them to either kill each other or kiss each other is as tense as de-wiring a bomb._

* * *

><p><strong>June 14th 2252 (6 pm) St Nazaire<strong>

Cheng fiddled with the controls at his workspace, trying to tune the radio and secretly watch Lena at the same time. Cortes was grumbling about missing his favourite talk show, which was broadcast from the radio station in Ningxia. They were still deep in Sphere territory though and out of range. The raid had been successful and now they only had a pretty long journey home.

"Cheng? Any luck?"

"No Cortes, Sorry. We really are too far away. There are other radio stations we could listen in to."

"Bah. Sphere radio. Nothing but crap about how wonderful they are. Their news stations are full of reports blaming us for killing people and starting riots when it's them. I was looking forward to that show. Those guys aren't afraid to make fun of the Sphere a little. Shame that we can only broadcast over a limited range really."

"We could set up more radio stations, cover a larger area?" Lena piped up, looking straight at Cheng. He glanced away quickly, blushing and she wondered why briefly.

"No good lass. The Sphere would just detect where the signal was coming from then smash up the station and whoever it was saying that they're all good for nothing bastards was killed on the spot." The pirate captain shook his head. "Alright Cheng, flick through and we'll see what we can find. Got to be something interesting to listen to..."

Cheng obligingly began twisting the dial, pausing at every radio station he came across. Cortes would listen to a small section before waving his hand or yelling to change to the next channel.

_Fifteen killed by rebellion-_

_Captain Kieran McCarthy has stated that the rebellion poses no threat-_

_Ningxia was run by a crazy old man in any case! Good riddance to them I say-_

_And the pirates ran in and stole my daughter-_

_It's 6.05 pm and we are broadcasting live at Li-_

_Commander Oslo reports that-_

"STOP!" Maria batted Cheng's arm "Go back to the one before!"

"Maria, I'm trying to listen to-" Cortes began, before being shushed. Cheng pushed the dial back.

_We will be broadcasting every day at around 6 pm. In the latest news, Last weeks massacre in __Brasília was NOT the work of rebel forces. Sphere forces were collecting water tax in the area when a young local man threw a piece of rotten fruit at a guardian. This caused the guardian's brigadiers to open fire upon the man and the unarmed crowd. The Sphere is passing this off as a rebel raid. It was not. The guardian attempted to stop the brigadiers but was unable to prevent them. Fifteen died and seven more were injured in the incident._

_In further news, the guardian academy's academic year will soon end upon July 20th, which will mean that they will soon be searching out fresh recruits. The Sphere intends to stage a surprise collection upon the first of august, so if you have powers, or have a child with powers be extra vigilant. There are Eleven seijin children who they are planning to abduct upon that day; Ellen Flanagan from Babylonia, Jai Sato from Na'saki , George and Daisy Burville..._

Cortes flailed around in search of pen and paper, then scratched down the names in his spiky handwriting, muttering the names to himself.

"Maria," He growled "What the hell is this?"

"This is Sasha." She whispered, closing her eyes and letting her sister's calm, slightly nervous voice wash over her. "She promised me she'd give us information somehow. I guess this is it."

_Finally there are five water carriers currently in motion, one of which has a minimum guard upon it. It is heading on a straight course North from the Bataan Peninsula to the unnamed block #85. upon Block #85 is a water storage facility with minimal security – it's on the fringes of sphere space, so I strongly suggest that if you are currently near the area you intercept the ship and find the facility. Now we have- oh no, we don't have the time sorry. The sphere have approached the block we're currently tucked away on. See you tomorrow at 6 everyone. Radio liberty out._

The radio switched to static and Maria finally let go of the breath she'd been holding. In the background behind her, Cortes was coaxing more life out of the engines. He was convinced that they could reach the water tanker and get their hands on the water. It was on their route home. The smaller fighter ship that had accompanied the St Nazaire, the Zephyr, was heading to Babylonia and Saluzzo to see if they could rescue the two seijin children that lived there. The only difficulty with them knowing was that the Sphere knew that they knew, so would probably kidnap the children now instead of waiting until August. Even so, the Sphere would surely be panicking that someone was able to reveal sensitive information to the general public.

She felt the warmth of Wayan's arms encompassing her and was thankful that she had such passionate family and friends.

"Your sister is a brave woman." His lively tone made her smile and snuggle back into his chest.

"Yes. She is."

* * *

><p>Cheng looked away from Wayan and Maria, feeling like an intruder in their private moment. Lena had come to sit next to him so that she could hear the radio better. She was still leaning with one hand on his thigh, the other tapping away at the keyboard. Every movement she made was filled with the awkward grace of a teenage girl. Unfortunately the days where he was oblivious to her charm were over; the small crush he'd had when they first met a year ago had developed into something else. Something that made him fumble for words, blush, scratch his head and look away in her presence. His behaviour had only escaped her notice because she was always focused on something else. Now they were both thirteen and going on fourteen, but he had no idea how to approach her about how he felt. People said you were meant to get wiser as you get older,but there was no way to be wise about this. If he could only act like he had when he was younger and saw her as 'just another friend'. Why was it that around the girl he liked he had to clam up and stammer like an idiot?<p>

"Are you okay? You're staring through me."Lena's voice snapped him back to reality. "Is there something bothering you?"

Her eyes were beautiful and the sound of her voice fell softly over him like a feather duvet. He loved her, in a crazy, confusing way. Lee thought she was too young, Cheng thought that she was perfect, so why did Lena not see that?

"Nothing." He muttered, looking away.

* * *

><p><strong><span>June 25<span>th 2252 (8.05 am) : Farrell Residence**

Mila ran the brush through her hair quickly before attempting to plait her hair as quickly as possible. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this excited. The day brought back so many memories...if only Marcus could be here to see his grandchild. Well, a scan of his grandchild. Who admittedly would at this stage look more like an alien off of a Sci-fi programme than an actual human being. The past few weeks had been a frenzy of activity as she cleared out some of her old baby things that she'd stored with the Vector. The old man had been more than pleased to finally be rid of her old knick knacks. Lena had spent a calming Friday afternoon with her recovering the boxes and discovering plenty of memories.

"Mum? It's time to go, aren't you excited?" Lena whirled into the room like a miniature tornado, stroking her hands over her mother's long hair, which was still seeking an escape from the tight plait it was bound into.

"SO excited honey, I'm just thinking that I'll soon be having grey hair. I'll be grandma Mila soon." She smiled and laughed with her daughter, wrapping an arm around her and heading to the door, clutching her daughter like a lifeline. _I told myself I'd never say or think this, but they really do grow up fast..._

* * *

><p><strong>June 25th 9.04 am : Puerto Angel Hospital<strong>

Mahad wiggled about in his chair, watching the clock while Dahlia and Mila planned in the seats opposite him. Lena shot him a slightly sympathetic grin, flicking her head towards the pair opposite.

"It's like a military operation isn't it?" She whispered, eyes twinkling with laughter. He pulled a face and nodded, turning his attention back to the conversation going on between the two women.

"- So you should really get down to the painting the nursery now, because you want the fumes to have all dissipated by the time the baby arrives."

"Yeah, I actually have been meaning to do that. I've been gradually re-painting and decorating; the place was so drab, I can't believe I'd never realised it before. It's just I've had such terrible morning sickness for the past few weeks. Felt terrible."

"Well, at least you're mostly past that stage now. Just the kicking to look forward to now. I found those old baby clothes you wanted, how are you getting on with reading those advice books? What are you doing about the cot?"

"I've honestly not had the time between work, tiredness and sickness. As for the cot I have my old one up in the loft I think, the one my dad made me. I'd like the baby to have it." Dahlia smiled and laid her hand onto her stomach, sighing. Mahad snorted and both women glared at him.

"What? She's stroking her stomach when the baby is less than two inches big at this point." He grinned "It only weighs four grams. Hey did you know-"

"That's a very precise measurement Mr Farrell. It's also the correct one." The nurse piped up from around the door, smiling. "I can see you now, sorry for the delay."

The group of four stood up and crammed into the room. Mahad, watched through narrowed eyes by Dahlia, shut the door and went to stand by the bed. Mila and Lena took a seat behind him while the nurse ambled around the other side of the bed, tapping the screen of the ultrasound machine.

"How did you know that stuff about the baby?" Dahlia eyed him up and down. "Didn't know you were that in the know."

"Well, the books were there and you weren't reading them..." He sniffed at her disbelieving face "What? I want to be prepared. Hey, did you know that right now, every minute our baby is making 25,000 neurons in it's brain? Neat, huh?" There was a giggle from behind him and he turned slowly to scowl at Lena.

"Aww Mahad the proud baby daddy." She pouted "How manly of you to be reading books aimed at pregnant women."

"Whaaat? They're so interesting! The baby looks like a cool mutant, there was a picture. It's only just got rid of the tail-thing."

"Otherwise known as the spinal cord." The nurse interjected, smiling at his antics. "The baby's spine is finally formed. You're right, before now it does look a little like a tadpole's tail because the spine isn't fused properly." She turned to Dahlia and continued "It must be nice to have such a caring boyfriend."

"See? THANK YOU!" Mahad grinned and held his hands up, getting a general round of laughter. The nurse popped the cap off a bottle in her hand, warning Dahlia that the gel was cold. Even so when she squeezed a little onto the pirate's stomach, Dahlia squealed slightly and stiffened.

"Jeez, that really is cold."

"Yep, now lets see if we can get a good photo for you, hmmm?"

For ten seconds or so there was no sound other than the nurse sighing as she glared at the screen and wiggling the sensor around. Finally, with a small cry of triumph, she held it in place and turned the screen around for them to see. There, in squiggly grey lines was the vague shape of a baby.

"Little guy is a bit camera shy, but here's the spine, the head and ooh look it moved! There we go, can you see it now?"

"Yeah," murmured an awe-struck Mahad, eyes fixed on the screen as his fingers sought Dahlia's hand. "I see him."

Dahlia smiled, curling her hand around Mahad's. How stupid of her to think that it could have been Mahad; one look at the radiant pride upon his face and it was clear that he loved this baby. The nurse printed a little black and white photo of the ultrasound and ushered them out of the room. The voices of Lena and Mila swirled around her meaninglessly. Her focus was on the uncharacteristically quiet Mahad.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, squeezing his hand

"We're having a baby Dahlia. A proper little angel."

She snorted "I doubt any child of ours could be a little angel. I'll bet the kid will be a real fighter."

"Yeah! I'll teach him how to fly and you can teach him how to shoot-"

"What if 'he' is a she then?"

Mahad went slightly misty eyed. "A little girl. Well she'll be beautiful and stubborn like her mother..."

"And as irritating and lively as her father." finished Dahlia, grinning. She leant sideways onto his shoulder and he put his arm around her, continuing to wonder just what their child would be like.

* * *

><p><strong>June 29th 2252 ( 12.15pm) Flagship Olympus; Oslo's Office<strong>

Sasha knocked quietly on the door, an inscrutably blank expression already placed upon her face. Kiya, sitting at her usual desk outside the door gave her a thumbs up and mouthed "good luck".

"Come!" Ordered Oslo's voice from within and she forced down the jitters that spread through her at the sound of his voice. _Stop that_ she scolded herself, before straightening her shoulders and opening the door.

Her commander was leaning back in his chair when she entered, one leg crossed over the other. She immediately loathed him for acting so calm when she felt so tense. She'd been busy the past few weeks, digging up information to put on the radio. Kiya had found some sympathisers whilst she'd been eating in the main canteen one day and, after having their minds checked by Sasha to see if they were genuine, they were recruited as part of the cause. Two of them were guardians who had been taken from their parents by the sphere and the other was simply angry at the Sphere for causing so much poverty and death in his home town. All of them were in the Sphere simply because that was where they had ended up. The Sphere was the biggest employer in the whole of Skyland.

Sasha's breath caught slightly as she observed him for the first time in days. Not because she had missed the way his Carolina blue eyes pierced her, or because he looked so pleasantly different with his hair slowly starting to grow. It was because almost the entirety of one half of his face was darkening into a mottled purple bruise.

"Oh my god, Oslo, what the hell happened?" She crossed the room to his side in three strides, turning his face to the light so she could examine it better. An expression of pain crossed his face like a shadow and his eyes shut.

"I had to go out to sort out a rebel raid upon one of our major outlying food warehouses. It would seem that someone is feeding information to the rebels, much to the disgruntlement of the board of governors. They are insisting that I deal with this security breach personally." Sasha turned away, biting her lip. She'd given away the coordinates during last night's transmission.

"What went wrong?"

"There were more of them there than anticipated. Whilst my men entered the building, a small group of pirates entered my ship. There was...a fight."

"How many were there?"

"Six. Fortunately my men arrived back after fifteen minutes." Sasha's head snapped around and she paused in her act of pouring some water into a bowl.

"You mean you had six men beating you up for fifteen minutes?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I disabled two of them before they could restrain me."

Even in his injured state, he still managed to grin crookedly, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. Working methodically, Sasha pressed a damp cloth to a point on his face where the skin had broken. Clearly these guys had been really pummelling him. She tried to be as gentle as possible and was silently impressed that Oslo made no complaints, remaining in his relaxed position with his eyes closed. Completely at leisure to take in every detail, she allowed her eyes to roam his face, noting the slight clench of his jaw and tightening of his brow which betrayed the pain he was in. Finally the cut was clean and she rifled through the first aid kit that was stored in the room, searching for a cream or something to put on it.

"There's an ice pack in the little drinks fridge over there." Muttered Oslo, waving a hand vaguely at what looked to be an ordinary cupboard. Sasha followed his orders and brought him the ice pack, forcing herself to let him hold it to his face instead of pressing it there herself. He wouldn't like to be mollycoddled.

"Didn't you get seen to by a nurse?"

"No. I didn't intend to be treated for a few little bruises. The pain is minimal. I was only calling you in to remind you that you finish work early today, so that you have plenty of time to get ready." The one eyebrow that was visible to her raised, "The Charity Ball...had you forgotten?"

"Of course not!" _Oh Jesus I'd forgotten about that._

"Good, well, I'll meet you in the hall downstairs at 7. I don't know how long it would usually take you to get ready, but I hear most women take quite a long while. You have six hours, so I'm sure you'll manage."

"That's more than enough" Sasha squeaked, freaking out at the idea that she had to go and find an evening dress from somewhere, get back to the ship, shower, dress and do her make up and nails all in that space of time.

Scurrying out of the room as fast as her feet could take her, intent upon her task. She would look beautiful that night, she would dazzle and charm. She would also be willing to bet that Mr Burton would be there and that if he was, she'd be pulling him aside for a little "chat".

* * *

><p><strong>June 29th 2252 (7 pm ) Flagship Olympus<strong>

Oslo shifted from foot to foot and fiddled with the cuffs on his jacket, uncomfortable in a suit as opposed to his usual uniform. He was unused to having such a low collar and he was sure that the tie was done too messily. Tugging the little noose downwards a little he smiled when his temperature decreased ever so slightly. On a hot summer night like this, he was trying not to sweat. That would be terrible. Not that this was a date. Well, not to Sasha maybe. But it had some meaning, didn't it? He'd never brought Diwan along, despite the invitation insisting that he brought someone. Before he'd merely sneered at the notion that he was not capable of being there alone. He was the commander of the Sphere. The same rules didn't apply, as far as he was concerned.

A clicking sound behind him alerted him to Sasha's arrival down the main staircase. He stared at her quietly until her face dropped.

"Is it not right? Not posh enough?" Her tone was nervous and wretched with disappointment.

"No, not at all." Clearing his suddenly dry throat, he offered her his arm "Shall we leave?"

The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen smiled, nodded her head and put her arm in his. Tonight, he was glad that he'd brought someone with him, just to see the jealous faces of the other men when they beheld Sasha. Because although she wasn't really his, he triumphed in the fact that she wasn't _theirs _either.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Originally this chapter was going to be much longer, but I felt bad that I hadn't updated in such a long time, so I posted it as it is now. Next chapter should be up in a few days or so and will be featuring more Puerto Angel scenes hopefully. RnR**


	15. Dance, Dance

**A/N There's going to be a lot of time skipping in this chapter, because it would take too long to go through every single month. Plus, there will be quite a lot in first person. Let me know if you prefer first or third person and I'll write in that.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Dance Dance**

_**She says she's no good  
>With words but i'm worse<br>Barely stuttered out 'A joke of a romantic'  
>Or stuck to my tongue.<strong>_

_**( Dance Dance - Fall out Boy )**_

* * *

><p><strong>June 29th 2252 (7.10pm)<strong>

Sasha smoothed her dress down nervously, trying to sit in a way that wouldn't crease the dress, or show too much of her legs. Oslo climbed into the seat beside her, almost stepping onto the delicate black handbag that lay on the floor before Sasha squealed and grabbed his thigh.

"Don't you dare get a nasty footprint on my bag! Forget about it costing me an arm and a leg, it almost cost me my soul!" She let go of his leg, giving it a fond slap "Watch where you step."

Snorting derisively, Oslo stepped carefully around and into the driver's seat, muttering something about women being so violent. They were taking a small, personal ship to the event. It was box shaped, with four engines at each corner. The entire thing was sleek and black, with plenty of space inside.

"Remind me why we can't have patrollers like this?" She asked as the ship lifted off the ground smoothly, angling its wings with a slight humming sound.

"Because the patrollers have to be relatively cheap since we have to have so many of them. They've also got to be all the same. They're like police cars – they have to be fast, recognisable, but not too expensive to run. This ship is for my use on special occasions only. If I were to compare this to a car, this is like...a Bentley or a Ferrari." There was a distinct note of pride in his voice.

She snorted with laughter "You men and your ships. You've always got to have the fastest, most expensive ship."

"The same could be said about women and clothes." He retorted, smirking. "you always want the prettiest, most expensive things to wear."

"So? They make you feel good because they make you look pretty."

"But you're already beautiful."

Sasha opened her mouth, unsure of how to reply. Oslo was watching the sky, intent on steering the ship, as if he wasn't very accustomed to flying. Or as if he didn't want to look at her. His cheeks looked slightly red in the moonlight coming through the windscreen. She closed her mouth and pondered for a second, then leant over and brushed her lips over his flaming cheeks. They were so bruised...For all his pretences of being all powerful, after the attack on him earlier, he seemed so much more fragile.

"Thank you."

His eyes flickered across to look at her, wide open with surprise at her actions. She loved surprising him like that. Though he was the surprising one tonight. He was dressed in an expensive looking three piece grey suit, with a dark blue tie and a white shirt. It was conservative in the extreme, although the rough, freshly bruised look of his face made him seem quite a bit more rugged. She'd chosen to wear blue as well, thankfully. Originally she'd been planning on wearing red, which would have clashed terribly with his clothes. Not that it mattered. She'd never been much of a clothes person; if it fitted and didn't make her look like a pregnant monkey then she was satisfied.

* * *

><p>He watched her face ripple through various expressions and wondered what each one meant. It was true that her face was an open book, however the open book of her face seemed to be written in a foreign language to him. He could see the thoughtful, then wistful, then angry expressions on her face but he had no idea what they were about. It was so incredibly tempting to slip into her surface thoughts in such a way that she wouldn't notice and find out what exactly was making her smile right now. But he mustn't. If she caught him, she'd likely never forgive him for such a blatant trespass into an extremely private area of her life.<p>

It was easier to just admire her reflection in the windscreen (he didn't want to look at her directly in case she noticed him looking). She'd somehow managed to combine the minimum of effort with the maximum of style. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in natural waves, still shiny and slightly damp from a recent shower. An electric blue dress skimmed her skin, tying around her neck before plunging deeply over her chest. At the moment the position she was sitting in was grinding away at his reserve. The dress had ridden up to mid thigh and the way she was leaning over to look out of the window put even more of her already exposed cleavage on display.

Oslo turned his gaze resolutely forwards and attempted to concentrate on the direction he was flying. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>29th June 2252 (8pm) <strong>

"I thought the event started at 7.30?"

"Yes it did."

"Oh. So we're late?"

"I like to arrive fashionably late. It means I don't have to spend as much time talking to posh idiots."

Giggling, Sasha shook her head at him. He was so...Oslo sometimes. There really was no way to describe him. For a few minutes she amused herself by tapping out a rhythm on the armrest of the chair, smirking at how he was fidgeting in irritation at the repetitive sound. Unable to resist the chance to annoy him, she innocently asked

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Okay." She paused for two seconds "Are we there YET?"

"NO!" he snarled back, yanking the wheel sideways so that the ship suddenly veered to the left. Sasha toppled half out of her chair, throwing a hand out and catching herself on the edge of Oslo's chair.

"No need to be violent." She winked "I was just asking..." He turned and gave her a disgusted blank look.

"You are so childish."

"You are so stuck up." She retorted, smiling "Try and have a little fun, it wouldn't kill you."

"We're here." He muttered and the angle of the ship sloped downwards as the vessel descended quickly over a dense alpine forest. A small lake flew past below them before the ship touched down with a soft thump onto a grassy landing area marked out by a circle of lanterns.

Sasha followed Oslo out of the ship, grumbling internally about the combination of a low ceiling and high heels which forced her to bend almost double and shuffle along like a crab. She even had to tuck her arms in front of her so that she could fit down the narrow walkway to the door.

"Stupid high heels. Killing...feet. Can't walk properly..." She growled, then stood stock still. There was a slight tug from behind whenever she tried to move forwards. Twisting her head at an awkward angle, she peeked over her shoulder and saw that a part of her dress was snagged on a loose bolt on the armrest of a chair.

"For goodness' sake..." She started to twist her upper body, heard the fabric strain and stopped immediately. If the dress ripped then she was screwed; there was no way she could go out there if her dress had a massive rip through it. However, in the cramped quarters she couldn't reach behind her with her hands and she couldn't turn around either. Plus, bended over as she was, she couldn't see much of what she was doing.

_Oh Christ what do I do? I'm meant to be out there right now being all suave and impressive. I'm meant to be trying to find Burton and squeeze information out of him. After I've spent some time with Oslo of course. Oslo...maybe I could call him? Get him to come and help me out? Yeah, that's a good – no, actually that's not a good idea. I'm meant to be impressing him, seducing him with my feminine charm and grace. Instead I'm bending over so low that you can see straight up my dress and despite my extensive supernatural powers I have been defeated by a tiny piece of metal._

"Excuse me?" The newcomer stopped and stared at Sasha, who raised her head in surprise. The man was moderately young, probably somewhere between her and Oslo in age. His hair was brown, nondescript and his clothes were well suited to him. So he wasn't a servant. But he certainly wasn't Oslo. So why was he in the ship?

"Oh hi, didn't hear you come in. What's your name?"

"It's erm..Graham... Are you okay?"

"Oh I'll be just fine if you can do me a favour."

"What favour would that be?"

"Crawl between my legs?"

* * *

><p><strong>Oslo's Point of view<strong>

I'd been talking to the Munroe couple for quite a few minutes until I suddenly noticed the distinct lack of Sasha. The first thing I thought was that maybe she'd taken it upon herself to leave and go somewhere without me. Perhaps she was even trying to seek out the mysterious Mr Burton. I know that she must have realised that it was possible that he would be here. After all she wasn't completely stupid. But was she stupid enough to try and go after him alone? Probably not. Hopefully not.

Making semi-polite excuses (I didn't really ever need to be polite to anyone, since everyone had long since pegged me as a cynical bastard), I headed back to the ship, weaving through the other modes of transport that were abandoned on the landing zone. There was even a vintage earth helicopter here. Those things went out of common use years ago; they're antiques now, with maybe only twenty or so left. Why anyone would want such a slow thing instead of a modern hovership I will never understand.

There was a conversation going on inside the ship when I entered, between Sasha and a man whose voice I didn't recognise. Staying around the corner, I listened with growing anger.

"If you could just...yeah. Don't tell Oslo about this, please?"

"I have no intention of telling the commander that the first thing I did when I met his girlfriend was to go writhing around between her legs."

Sasha laughed and the sound echoed off of the walls. "Thanks. Seriously, I really needed this. I couldn't ask Oslo..."

"Didn't want his disdain, huh? Well, you ever need help with this sorta thing again, you can call me any time."

They both laughed and I heard them start to move towards the door. By the time they exited the ship, I was leaning nonchalantly against a lantern post several yards away. The man was nothing special. From what I could see anyway. Brown hair, brown eyes. Normal features. There was nothing spectacular about him at all. So why had she chosen him to...writhe between her legs? Could what she said really have meant that they'd... Sasha hopped out of the ship and the man caught her arm as she stumbled slightly, letting go with a smile when she was stable. Her hair blew in the wind and the tendrils stroked across her velvety skin.

_Of course they have. Who could resist her? I'm gone for five minutes and she's having a quick fuck with a stranger. The kid must have stamina issues if he can only keep going for five minutes. Or he's skilled enough to only need that short amount of time to satisfy her. My Sasha. Okay, so there is no relationship between us, but he doesn't know that. She is my date and my faux girlfriend. I...I have no claim over her. It's not like I can childishly claim that I saw her first, that I wanted her first. I did nothing about my desire for her. I should do nothing about my desire for her. He looks to be her age and he doesn't _look_ like a mental case. Which is more than can be said for what people think of me. She deserves better than to be with a man who people label as "the old, power crazed tyrant."_

"Oslo? You coming honey?" Sasha was next to me without me even noticing "That looked like a deep thought you were just having." Sometimes, she read my face much too well.

"I always think deep thoughts." Her arm slid through mine and we followed the others at a distance along the trail towards the stately home the ball was being held at. Judging that nobody could hear us, I added "honey?"

"Couples are meant to use affectionate terms for each other." She snickered at my expression "Don't look so disgusted, _honey_, I could have referred to you as _babe_"

I pulled a face, disliking the second instantly. It made her sound like a simpering fool "Stick with honey. I don't hate it – I just feel a little ridiculous being called _honey _when I'm a military commander of the most powerful force in this world."

"I could always call you sweetie." She stated in mock seriousness, her mouth wobbling with a repressed smile that was breaking in around the cracks. It was like the natural expression her face fell into was a smile. Totally opposite to my characteristic blank or frowning face.

I settled for just smiling slightly, pressing my lips to her temple and murmuring "Whatever you want, _sugar _" then laughing fully aloud when her face twisted into horrified disgust at how badly the name suited her temperament.

I pulled her closer to my side, eyes settling on the back of the head of the man she'd been with. A sick feeling washed through me right to the core and my fingers tightened their grip unintentionally. Sasha winced and I instantly let go, rubbing my thumb absent-mindedly over the area of her waist that I'd gripped too hard by accident.

_He will pay. To hell with what might be best for her. I will fight that arrogant little sod tooth and nail for her if need be. She deserves more than a quick fling in the back of a transport ship. She should have romance and scented candles, empty beaches and flowers. Lots of flowers. Chocolate too. If she was with me then I'd shower her with love and I would be committed to her completely. If she was with me. _

The woman who is simultaneously my closest companion, greatest weakness and the most confusing person I've ever met looked up at the sky and laughed to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>29th June 2252 (9.30 pm) Sasha's point of View<strong>

The first half of the evening had been bearable enough I suppose. There'd been a buffet table and champagne being handed out on trays. We'd been the spectacle of the evening it seemed. People had come up to us in small groups and politely greeted Oslo, who had then introduced them to me. From what I could tell from their behaviour and the hints they dropped, they were incredibly curious about Oslo's girlfriend. I was something of a novelty, since he had never brought anyone to society parties before.

I've never been much of a big party goer, but this was nothing like what I'm used to. Most partys I'd ever been to had been with Maria and the family, or with room mates during my ascent through the ranks of the sphere. Here, it was pretty obvious that the purpose of the evening was to meet people, forge alliances and friendships that would bring you an advantage. It was all about power.

This was the part of the evening that I'd been looking forward to most. Since this was a charity ball, there was a quiz being held. Everyone was to be split into random teams of six. The winning team would choose which charity the money made from the ball would be donated to. I know it's weird, but I like quizzes because although they're a challenge there's no danger of dying if you fail the challenge, unlike most of the other challenges I encounter in life.

The names of who was in each team was listed on a board in the corner of the enormous ballroom. I was in team 23 apparently. Oslo had been sorted into team 17.

"I'm so going to whup your team's arse" I hissed to him, grinning. He simply raised an eyebrow in an aloof way.

"We shall see. Maybe it'll be me whupping your arse" his suggestive tone made me shiver slightly in all the right ways. Damn, sometimes he could make things sound so...appealing.

"I'm glad we're not in the same team." I pulled away and headed for my table, winking before adding "Because if you were in my team I'd be too distracted to beat everyone else here."

Almost skipping away, I reached the table marked with a card as 23. There were two people already there. I'd met them earlier, but I wasn't entirely sure on their names so I just nodded politely and frantically tried to remember.

"That's Dr Skinner and his wife Amelia" I glanced over my shoulder at my saviour and beheld the man I'd met earlier. Graham. He pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, letting him tuck the chair back in under the table for me. The seat next on my left scraped and another man joined the table, leaving Graham to sit in the chair to my right. Only one chair remained vacant at the table now. People were milling all around, laughing and talking as they found their tables, but I couldn't see Oslo. However, looking around the room I spotted one very familiar and unwelcome face heading straight for me.

"Thomas! How wonderful to see you again!" Amelia Skinner stood up and kissed the flabby man's cheek. He nodded to Mr Skinner, then filled the vacant seat. I started shielding my mind as soon as he came near, but I suddenly realised; it was night. He didn't have access to his powers now that the sun had set. Only Oslo can use his powers during the dark. I can, to an extent. As long as my strength holds up. The question really is, can Thomas still detect if someone is trying to read his mind if his powers are deactivated? At the moment he is essentially normal. Could I? Should I? No. Cameron was completely normal, yet he was able to detect me trespassing in his mind and defend himself. But that was only because I was delving deep into his memories. I only want to read Thomas' surface thoughts.

_Are you okay? I can see Thomas at your table. _The thought arrived in my head and I immediately recognised the tone of it. Oslo.

_How long have you been in my mind?_

_I haven't been listening to your thoughts secretly, if that's what you think. It's strange, because your defences never used to let me past, but now they don't resist my entry at all._

_Maybe my mind likes your flavour._

I suddenly realised the double meaning that could hold and added. _Not in that way._

_I'm sure my flavour is delicious. But I have no idea what you mean._

_Don't you feel it? When someone sends a thought your way. There's a certain feel to their thoughts, a flavour. It's like their voice, there's subtle differences from person to person, so you can tell who it is that is talking to you in your head._

_I hadn't noticed. I've never held mental conversations with anyone except you. In order to talk this way, you need to let the other person into your head and I dislike the idea of someone else in my mind. I've sent my voice into other people's heads of course, when I'm hypnotising them or sending them an order. _

_So I could go into your thoughts from here? Through the link? Except you trust me not to?_

_Yes._

_Oh. Thank you. _

I quickly closed the link we were sharing before the gratitude and yes, _love _I felt for him seeped through the link and revealed how I felt about him. I was only just about coming to terms with my feelings about him. I didn't need him to find out and freak out over how I felt, when I felt like freaking out every time I realised just how much I _love _that man.

"Are you any good at quizzes?" It took me a moment to realise that Graham was talking to me. I shrugged one shoulder.

"I'm all right I guess. Depends on what the quiz is about. We _HAVE _to beat Oslo's team though, otherwise he's going to be insufferable on the way home."

Amelia giggled "Competitive, isn't he, your man. His team always wins. The commander is quite the genius."

I simply smirked and cracked my knuckles, ignoring the horrified look I received from Amelia over such an unladylike gesture. "We'll see about that." I hovered my hand over the bell on the middle of the table, ready to hit it as soon as the first question was asked.

"My, my. It looks like Oslo really has met someone just as determined." Mr Skinner murmured.

I pretended not to hear him.

* * *

><p><strong>29th June 2252 (10.15pm)<strong>

"Admit it, you just got totally pulverised by my team."

"I'll admit you were like a demon on that buzzer, but I would hardly call losing by one point a crushing defeat."

"Nope. But it was still a defeat." Sasha danced around in her bare feet, snapping twigs as she moved. The effect of four glasses of champagne showed in her slightly flushed cheeks and uneven walking. They'd decided to leave early, since neither of them felt like taking to the dance floor and dancing in and out of hundreds of different people.

The path through the woods from the house to the place they'd parked the ship was deserted and Oslo stopped suddenly.

"Did you want to dance?" She stopped her dream like wandering and looked at him curiously.

"Well, I would have liked to. But you didn't want to stay, so..."

He shrugged and took her arm, twirling her in a less than expert but very debonair way. He led her off of the path and through the woods until they arrived at the small lake they'd flown over earlier.

"But" She panted, getting her breath back "There's no music."

One look in his eyes and she stopped trying to reason with him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, he held her waist securely against them as they waltzed slowly on the spot. A relaxed smile fixed itself onto her face as she felt her body go soft and fold into his. It was only then that she heard it – a soft melody played out in irregular thumps. His heartbeat throbbed in her ear, setting out a slow rhythm that blocked out every other noise. All she could feel and see was his smooth chest, rough and gentle hands and his lips buried in her hair. Her nose was full of the smell of his clothes – linen mixed with a strange spicy smell.

"Sasha? Hello? SASHA?" A voice drifted towards them from the path. A very male voice. Oslo stiffened and glared in the direction it had come from.

"I expect it's your boyfriend." He snarled, letting go of her.

"My..What?"

"The man you were thanking for writhing around between your legs earlier."

"The...OH!" Her eyes widened "That was nothing-"

"I'm sure it was." He spat. "Who you have sex with is really none of my concern, but you could have at least had the decency to pick a more private place than the back of my ship with a complete stranger."

Her hand shot towards his face, but he caught it in mid flight. "Fuck you." She hissed, snatching back her hand and stalking away towards the path. Oslo followed, glaring at her back. How dare she walk away from him? He was the one in the right here, not her!

The man from earlier twirled around as Sasha crashed out of the bushes like a rampaging bull. He shifted from side to side uneasily , glancing over his shoulder as if he wanted nothing more than to run away from this confrontation as much as possible.

"Graham! Would you like to tell Oslo what exactly you were doing when we first met."

"I thought you said.."

"He now needs to know."

"Oh. Well, Commander, your girlfriend had got herself into a bit of trouble-" he began slowly

"My dress got caught on a nail behind me and I couldn't reach it or move without ripping it, so when Graham here found me he crawled underneath my legs and unhooked the material from where it had got caught. That was why he was "writhing between my legs." " Sasha finished, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at Oslo.

"Oh."

"Yes Oslo. Oh." She turned back to Graham, who was desperately trying to melt into the background "What did you want?"

"I just wanted to give you my card. I thought we could meet up sometime. As friends, of course"

A small card was presented to Sasha, who took it and left without a word. Oslo shifted position, watching her storm off, starting to feel slight remorse for so hastily believing that she was...well, she wasn't cheating on him. There was no relationship between them. But even so, he was greatly relieved that she wasn't with someone else.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" the man asked from behind him and Oslo snorted.

"No, I'll give her a few minutes head start so that she'll have cooled off a little by the time I reach her. It's not like she's going anywhere."

"How do you know she won't run away." Oslo snickered.

"I have the keys. I drive the ship. There's no way she could-" He stopped. Could she fly at night? Use her powers? No, no. She couldn't. Besides, she wouldn't...

The commander of the Sphere broke into a flat out sprint, cursing as he went. He caught up with her just around the bend in the track, skidding to a halt.

"Look, Sasha. I misunderstood earlier when I heard-"

"YEAH, Oslo, you did. Do you seriously think I'm just going to get into bed with a complete stranger?"

"Some women do."

"Women who are in love with someone already don't!"

His full attention snapped suddenly onto her. Oslo had a funny way of giving someone his full attention that made them feel like they were being slowly examined, evaluated, understood and then labelled and filed under 'unimportant'. It was creepy and unnerving; it felt like he knew exactly what you were about to say or do and was just waiting for you to say it so that he could prove you wrong.

"You...Love someone?"

She didn't answer. Couldn't trust her voice to not break. Couldn't trust herself not to confess everything. She simply climbed into the ship without daring to risk a glance at his face.

The next morning Oslo summoned her to him and assigned her a major project that would draw her away from him for several months. What killed him the most when he did it was that she said nothing at all. He never heard her tears when she left the room. She never saw him watch her leave from the window, or how his powers unconsciously threw his chair across the room, smashing it into a hundred tiny pieces.

Kiya saw it all and said nothing. There was work to be done.

* * *

><p><strong>24<strong>**th**** August 2252 (11.55 am) St Nazaire**

They were out on a trade run to Ningxia and Lena hadn't been able to resist the chance to run off and see Lee. Cheng had muttered something about new computer parts and Cortes was 'resting his eyes' in his commander chair. He was snoring. Mahad had left to "do something." There was honestly just no use in asking him sometimes. She'd find out later. She'd make sure of that.

Dahlia wiggled herself slightly in her chair, vainly trying to get comfy. The bump sure took some getting used to. It wasn't enormous as of yet – after all she was only four months in. But the time really had flown...hold on. She counted in her head swiftly, mouth moving as she mouthed the dates, then smiled.

"I just realised." She nudged Wayan "I'm half way." He raised an eyebrow and swivelled in his chair to face her. "I'm half way through this hell."

"It can't be that bad. You're looking really good. For a pregnant woman I mean." Shooting him a withering look, Dahlia stood and stretched.

"I'm in the second trimester. So I'm past the being sick bit, but I'm not whale sized quite yet. But my boobs are MASSIVE!" She jiggled slightly for emphasis "Look at 'em!"

Wayan chuckled and looked away. "I'd better not Dahlia. Might be seen as a bit odd."

"But they're HUGE! Like a pair of balloons. Mahad was-"

"Very pleased?" Wayan suggested, slightly uncomfortable with the way the conversation had turned.

"He says that he hasn't noticed the difference."

"He's a man. Of course he's noticed that your ahem feminine assets have increased two-fold." Maria called around the corner of the room as she opened the door "Give me a hand with this, would you?"

Wayan eagerly took one of the mugs in her hands off of her, handing it to Dahlia before taking his own. They chatted for a while as they waited for the others to arrive back. Suddenly Dahlia jerked and yelped, spilling her drink onto her lap. She hopped up, trying to shake off the hot liquid.

"What the hell Dahlia? Are you alright." Maria set down her cup and fetched a towel.

"The baby! It just fucking kicked me! Really damn HARD!"

"Language" growled Cortes' voice from on high, drawing the attention of all of them.

Wayan pointed and mouthed "I thought he was asleep?" A loud, bellowing snore reverberated around the deck. Maria giggled.

"He even tells people off in his sleep." She slapped her thigh, trying to laugh quietly and not wake the captain. They all joined in with the laughter, gradually getting louder until Cortes cracked open one bleary eye.

"What in hell are you lot laughing about?" He grunted, rolling around in his chair "I'm getting my fuckin' beauty sleep here."

"Language Cortes." Maria chided innocently, causing a fresh wave of laughter. The pirate captain just waved it off

"There aren't any kids around, although sometimes I wonder if you idiots don't have the IQ of a child."

"My baby just kicked for the first time. Little bugger is still doing it." Dahlia moaned in fond irritation. She was secretly very pleased to have felt the baby move for the first time. Even if it hurt like hell.

"Shouldn't Mahad be here getting all misty eyed then? Seems to be all he does nowadays is ramble on about that kid. I'll be glad when the sprog finally pops out and he can get on with looking after it instead of pestering everyone else about how incredible the baby is going to be." Cortes slumped down in his chair and hoisted his feet up to rest on the wheel. "Put the radio on would ya? I want to hear the lunchtime report."

Dahlia rolled her eyes and switched the dial on her console so that the radio played through the main speakers. The team of whoever was running the pirate radio station had gotten themselves much more organised over the last two months. There was now three different transmissions per day; morning, noon and evening without fail. They'd also thankfully had the wit to figure out that they should use voice changer technology. Consequently most of them now sounded like they had a bad cold, or were a robot.

Maria sat up, listening to try and detect if any of the garbled voices belonged to her sister. Recently, she'd been disappointed.

"_Hello there and Welcome to the news at noon. I'm Arrow and with me today is Dawn. First of all, I think we all should have a round of applause; we are now officially illegal. The Sphere has made it a punishable offence to listen to our radio station, so be careful who knows about you listening in to us."_

"_So anyone listening right now – you are a very, VERY naughty person."_

The two voices laughed, then the man, Arrow, continued. _"We've also got some high priority, top secret information for you. You may or may not have realised by now that we are all Sphere workers, from various sections with different skills. Our number has absolutely blown up – but I won't tell you how many are in our little resistance."_

"_Don't confuse us with the pirates though – we both hate the Sphere, but we're not currently taking any direct action." _

"Currently huh?" Wayan muttered "So are they hinting that they might be in the future?"

"_Yeah. We're just seeking to inform about what is really going on in the Sphere and gain members. I wouldn't suggest looking for us – We'll find you."_

"_Which brings us onto the 'big news'. For the past few months the Sphere has been working undetected upon an all encompassing map of Skyland. We say map – rumour is that it's more of a database, which will list the name of each block, the name of every single inhabitant and their occupation and family members. Basically, they're finding out exactly where everyone is so they know where to send all the tax collectors so nobody can dodge paying the water tax. They're going to head into the deeper areas of the archipelagos, looking for renegades. People like you guys, listening to this radio. They're also going to be on the look out for illegal seijins."_

"_Details of who is heading the operation are scarce right now, but we know it isn't commander Oslo. Our sources report that while he may have masterminded the idea, he certainly isn't the one doing all the work."_

"_Of course not. Wouldn't want to get his nice white uniform dirty."_

"_Did you know we all used to wear white? But then they realised how inconvenient it was to try and get bloodstains out of a white piece of clothing. So now only the commander wears a white uniform. Because he never actually goes out into the field much."_

"_Seriously? Damn, I thought it was a rank thing."_

"_Well guardian's wear black usually, unless they're under cover." _

"_Hmm. Anyway, the bet is on one of Oslo's high up lackeys being somewhere out there undercover. It should take them quite a long time though, It's not like Skyland is small."_

"_I hear you. Good luck and good riddance to them, I say."_

Wayan glanced around at the others' serious faces. This survey was not good news at all. If Puerto Angel was found...they were screwed. Over the years since Marcus Farrell's disappearance the rebel blocks had all slowly fallen back under sphere control. No doubt there were small groups or resistance still out there, but they weren't in contact with the pirates. Everyone knew where Puerto Angel _Was, _they just didn't realise that it was the base of the rebellion. If the Sphere was doing as thorough a search as the radio had suggested they'd soon realise that most of the inhabitants of Puerto Angel had lovely pictures up all around Skyland on wanted posters.

"Why are you all so grim looking? We have early warning systems, remember? We'll know when they're approaching. Then it's just a matter of hiding the farrell's and the Nazaire."

"The ship isn't exactly small. How do you suggest we hide this badboy?"

"Change the name. Pretend it's a ship of a different name, then leave it in the dock and if they ask just shrug and say it's a common model." Cortes shrugged. "Call the others back. I want to get back to the block ASAP to make sure the others know that we may soon have some unwelcome visitors."

Dahlia obliged, radioing Lena, Mila, Cheng and Mahad. They trickled back to the ship, Mahad arriving last (as usual) and making Cortes rant about him taking his time getting back. Surprisingly, Mahad apologised. Sincerely. She was definitely beginning to have some suspicions about what he might be up to.

The journey back was short, but she was exhausted. Navigating the ship through cloudy conditions was always trying. Still, she only had to keep on working for just over two months. Cortes had decreed that as soon as she hit 7 months pregnant he was not letting her pilot. Or in fact come along on raids at all. His reasoning was that since they were frequently jolted around during high speed chases, the last thing she wanted was to be hit hard while heavily pregnant. It made sense, but she didn't see why she couldn't just tag along. She'd even stay on the boat with Cheng while they went in all guns blazing. Really, she just wanted to be sure that she was there in case anything happened to Mahad. Or anyone else for that matter.

Mahad wrapped his hand around the small box in his pocket. Not tonight, he didn't think. The timing would have to be just right. It had been relieving to find some help in the form of a passer by though.

* * *

><p><strong>1 hour earlier<strong>

He was leaning with my hands pressed against the glass, glaring at all the glittering pieces of jewellery. There was just so...much to choose from. Would she want gold or white gold? Platinum? Jeez, no not platinum. Bit pricey. Not that it mattered about the price, but he literally didn't have the much money. He really, really wished Maria or Wayan was here. But one of them had to stay at the ship to keep Dahlia occupied and now that they were a couple the two were pretty much joined at the hip. He could use Maria's feminine touch, but another man to share the confusion of choosing with would also be reassuring.

"You have the look of a very, very lost man." remarked a voice behind him and he turned to see a woman in a pair of beaten up denim shorts and a bright red tank top. She had long hair of a dark blonde colour that was tied high up in a pony tail. There was something familiar about her easy grin, but he dismissed it. He'd never seen her before in his life, he was certain of it.

"What's the lucky lady like?" The woman stepped up to his side, surveying the merchandise on offer.

"Very hard to explain. I'm also buying her something else, for a different occasion."

"Hmm. Well, does she have her ears pierced?"

"I...don't _think _so. She's quite practical, so I don't want something that will get in the way, but I want something that is pretty enough for her. She's also pregnant, if that makes any difference."

"Oooh, boy or girl?"

"No idea yet, we can find out in a few weeks, but I'm not sure if I want to. I like a surprise."

"Me too, I love them. So you'll probably want to buy a necklace, not a bracelet because when you're pregnant your wrists swell, so something which will fit her now won't fit her afterwards."

The woman helped Mahad pick his purchases, asked him for directions to a nearby Café, then left as quickly as she'd came.

* * *

><p><strong>24th August 2252 (12.37pm) Mahad and Dahlia's house.<strong>

"Mahad? You coming to eat or what?" He scrabbled to shut the box shut and hid it behind his back as Dahlia came into the room. It took her about three seconds to see right through his look of innocence. Mahad never looked innocent unless he was up to something and _pretending _to look innocent.

"What are you holding behind your back." She smiled and approached him slowly, reaching around him with her arms as if to hug him whilst making a swipe for the object hidden from her.

"No, No, No. This is not for tonight."

"Ohhh so it's a present." Her face lifted up to look at him "Can I have it?"

"No. It's meant to be a surprise."

"OH WOW A PRESENT! There, I was surprised. Now can I seeeee?" Dahlia wheedled, then felt her fingertips brush a soft velvet box. Her eyes widened.

Slowly, Mahad produced a small box from behind him. It was a jewellery store box, dark black and plush looking.

"Close your eyes." his voice rumbled and she eagerly obeyed, her heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings.

_Oh My GOD is this really what I think it is? But I'm half way pregnant and- _She felt a chain brush lightly around her neck and the quiet, dreadful snap of a clip being done up. _Oh. A necklace._

"Open now." Mahad announced from in front of her. She opened her eyes and looked down, not having to fake a smile of delight. The necklace was a simple, silvery chain with a magnificent Sapphire as the pendant.

"It's beautiful Mahad." She reached up to kiss him. _But not what I hoped for. _

He stopped her by pressing a single finger to her lips. "I'm glad you like it. I was hoping it could count for your 'something blue' "

_Something blue... OH MY- _The expletive exclamation in her head stopped dead as Mahad dropped to one knee and produced another box from within his trouser pockets.

"Dahlia, will you marry me?" He slid open the box and revealed a brilliantly sparkling diamond ring.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Cliffhanger. Yes, I'm really that cruel. How do you think she'll respond? Any guesses on Mahad's mysterious helper? RnR people, you know you want to :)**


	16. You're my Hero

**A/N Sorry for the delay, I've been out in the countryside with family. Thankyou for all the reviews, it always amazes me how positive people can be about the story. Curiously enough, just after I posted the last chapter my dad proposed to his long term girlfriend. Weird, right**

**Chapter Sixteen: You're my Hero**

**_**I would ride on your shoulders**_**

_**And look out on the world**_

_**Pretending I was big and tall like you**_

_**When you were there to hold me**_

_**I never was afraid**_

_**You made me feel there's nothing I can't do**_

_**If I'd spread my wings to fly**_

_**When I was very small**_

_**I knew that you'd be standing by**_

**_**To catch me if I fall**_**

********( You're my Hero – Teresa James )****

* * *

><p><strong><span>24th August 2252 (12.39 pm) Mahad and Dahlia's house.<span>**

"NO!" Dahlia shouted, crossing her arms "That's not how it's meant to happen!" Mahad looked crestfallen until she continued "That's not how you're meant to propose! You tricked me so I thought it was a ring, then it turned out it was a necklace so I was disappointed because I thought you weren't asking me, _then _you pulled out the ring and asked when I had just gotten used to the fact I wasn't being asked."

"So…let me get this straight, you thought I was asking you, then was disappointed that I didn't and now you're angry because I did ask you?" Mahad grinned and Dahlia's lips twitched into a brief smile before she frowned

"Yes."

"So...You _don't_ want to marry me?" Teased Mahad.

"YES!"

"Yes you don't or yes you do?" Dahlia threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"I DO!"

He grabbed her in his arms, both of them laughing before he shot her a mock serious look. "Now, now Dahlia, I'm irresistible, but you don't need to say 'I do' until the ceremony."

His fiancé scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Shut up Mahad"

* * *

><p><strong><span>25th August 2252 (9.40am) Puerto Angel Docks<span>**

Charlotte couldn't remember when it had happened. When she finally lost any resemblance of control over her body. She'd been able to stop Diwan from trying other ways of hurting Dahlia and her baby, had seen the woman's terrible plans and deflected them. One time in the middle of a raid, Diwan aimed her gun at Dahlia's back when nobody was pushed with all her might and regained control of her right hand just in time to put Diwan's aim off balance. The energy bolt had hit a brig in front of Dahlia and everyone had congratulated her on such a good shot. If only she had been able to tell them. Diwan had smiled and accepted the praise, mentally shoving Charlotte away to the back of the head that they shared, not deterred in the slightest.

It was an odd feeling, to be a passenger in your own body. She could see out of her own eyes, smell, hear everything that happened around her, but was unable to move. Instead she saw her arms and legs move seemingly of their own accord, heard Diwan answer questions in her voice, felt the oppressive weight of Diwan's thoughts swirl around her.

Dominic smiled at Charlotte and her chest wrenched. Before Diwan's invasion she'd had a mild attraction to him, but now it was mixed with Diwan's loathing of the man who had made her forget, had hidden her away in the back of Charlotte's mind. They were unloading the ship and organizing the crates into piles to be taken and delivered to their final destination. She noted how close she was to him, how her fingers brushed his as he passed her a box, watching her with deep, sad eyes.

_Please, spare me your pathetic swooning over that boy. It's nauseating. _Diwan spat at her and she immediately snarled back

_Mind your own business and stay out of my emotions._

_Believe me, I'm not enduring you're little feelings out of choice. We share a consciousness, __remember? Anything you feel or think seeps along into my thoughts._

_And anything you think or feel, I feel too. _Charlotte added smugly, well aware of Diwan's weakness.

_Regrettably, yes. _

Charlotte withdrew from the conversation, attempting to guard her thoughts as she had seen Diwan attempt to do. She couldn't make Diwan leave, She couldn't control her body. But she could control her emotions, surely? What if...

* * *

><p>Diwan snorted in gone silent, scurrying away into the deepest recesses of her mind. With any luck the annoying little body snatcher would stay there.<p>

"Charlotte, are you alright? You've been very quiet lately." The healer-boy, Dominic.

"I'm fine Dom, just a little tired. I-" She stopped as a wave of emotion crashed over her as he stepped closer so that they were inches apart. His hair looked so soft, such a strong, gentle face. His glasses gave him a sheepish, very endearing look. Her heart started beating faster of it's own accord and her skin was suddenly heated as if someone had run an electric current through it. His mouth moved, saying her name, questioning what she was going to say but her mouth wouldn't move, wouldn't cooperate. She was glorying in the way his brow furrowed, creating a deep V of concern as his hand reached out to touch her arm. _What is happening to me? _Her mind finally managed to form a coherent question, but the answer was still unavailable to her.

"I have to go," She muttered, turning and sprinting away from him, feeling sadness that she was leaving his presence, guilt that he was so worried and she had given no explanation, confusion and was that...smugness? The feeling quickly vanished, but the other inconvenient impulses remained. Illogical, irrelevant. She quelled the hectic flurry within her, took several deep breaths and felt calmer. The first, unexplained emotion was not gone, she felt, but merely settled in the background. It made no sense, how could she feel what was clearly attraction for that..._pirate. _The only vague interest she had ever entertained in a man was in Commander Oslo and that had been a ridiculous folly. She had worshipped the man, still did in a way, for his strong, unyielding leadership. But he had not searched for her, had not given his devoted servant a second thought. He had replaced her. A woman called Sasha Argent, or some other ridiculous name. She must be fearsome, for the main crew would always fall silent when the topic was raised, although significant looks were shared between Maria, Wayan, Cortes, Dahlia and Mahad. The five of them knew something.

There was a noise above her and she looked up from where she leant against the bow of the St Nazaire. There were two people on the deck above her, leaning against the railing. Two blondes, one darker haired than the other.

"So how does it feel to be the next Mrs Farrell?"

"Brilliant. I'm finally free of that stupid surname. I'm just...I'm just sorry that my parents won't be there. It would have been great to have my dad walk me down the aisle."

"Oh, honey I'm so sorry. I'd forgotten about that old tradition. Let Cortes walk you, hmmm? He treats you like a daughter anyway, plus he won't get another chance to do it since Cheng isn't female."

"True. Yeah, I think I will ask him. Speaking of...I need bridesmaids. I want Lena as one, of course, but will you..."

"Spit it out Dahlia, it's not like you're proposing to me."

"How do you know I'm not?" Teased Dahlia and they both laughed.

"I'm flattered, but I prefer men, not women. Especially not pregnant ones."

"Ouch, I feel so spurned! But really, Maria, will you be my maid of honour?"

The second woman snorted "I'm not exactly the honourable type, but I'd be delighted. Do i get a kick ass dress?"

"Sure. But there's something else. I mean, i know we've only been friends a few months, but we really get along well and...most of my other friends from my childhood are scattered all around the world or are dead. Mahad and I have been thinking..."

"Mahad? Thinking? Wow Dahlia, you really have changed the guy."

"Shhh you, that's my future husband we're discussing."

"So?"

"So...Never mind. We want you to be Godmother to junior here." Dahlia patted her stomach lovingly "So that if anything happens to me and Mahad, there'll be someone to take care of the little guy. Or girl. You've got powers right? I know Sasha told you not to reveal all of them to anyone, but you're powerful and if Mahad and I ever die while out fighting, I want our child with the person who can protect them best and that's you."

"Dahlia, nothing is going to happen to you."

"What if it does, hmm? My parents left me alone and the only person who could care for me was that horrible aunt. I never want my child to go through that. We live a dangerous life, we risk ourselves every day. I won't risk my child. Never."

Diwan frowned, ignoring the conversation for a while, since it had turned to wedding plans, baby names, decorating the nursery, speculating about wedding dates, due dates, the gender of the child... It was drivel, to her mind at least. Her curiosity was peaked by the mention of this "Sasha" character and Maria's powers. She seemed a normal seijin, but was she different? A healer like Dominic? Who was Sasha?

"Have you heard from Sasha lately?" Diwan's ears pricked up.

"No. I don't understand. She's not on the radio anymore either. They haven't mentioned her codename. She said she'd find me, Dahlia. She promised me that she'd gather information on the Sphere, bring it down then return home. But what's she doing? All these months. It's been almost five months. Why hasn't she at least sent a message?"

"She set up the radio station though. They've been useful. People have hope now Maria, they see that there is something being done, people within the Sphere who are fighting back."

"Yeah. I guess it's going to really suck for Oslo when he finds out that his precious second in command is a traitor."

Diwan froze, quickly contemplating her next move. So the second in command was a traitor and Maria's sister as well. She needed to inform Oslo. She also needed the little brat dead. But if she blew her disguise by killing Dahlia and the baby she'd never find out any more useful information.

She considered all the options, weighed the possible outcomes. A smile crept across her face. She knew exactly what to do.

* * *

><p><strong><span>4th September 2252 (1pm) Farrell residence.<span>**

Dahlia smiled graciously at Pattruchi, running her hand down Mahad's arm impatiently. The irritating man finally left to talk to someone else and she allowed the faked expression to slide off her face.

"God that guy makes my skin crawl. I just feel ridiculously unclean whenever he's around. Like my skin is prickling." She muttered into Mahad's ear, leaning on his shoulder.

"I know what you mean. Why my mum invited him I'll never know." Mahad nodded to a person he had seen around the ship but didn't know the name of. "I don't know who half these people are."

"Just smile and wave." Dahlia hissed out of the corner of her mouth. "Your mum was so pleased with the engagement. Don't spoil her fun."

Mila floated around the small house which had been opened for the day to celebrate Mahad and Dahlia's engagement. She'd extended an open invitation to everyone on their block, since they all knew Mahad and Dahlia as two of the main members of the rebellion. Nothing brought people together like a party, she reflected. Currently the couple were stationed near the door and welcoming everyone arriving.

"I'd never realised there were so many people on the crew or just living around here. I've never bothered to learn their name." Mahad whispered after a particularly friendly man had come up to shake his hand and congratulate them.

"But they all know our names."

"It's embarrassing, right?"

Cortes stomped through the doorway, his hand on Cheng's shoulder. He gave them a curt nod and headed off in the direction of the food table without a word. He'd already grudgingly given Mahad his blessing, after much shouting and assurances that Mahad would take care of Dahlia. But the pirate captain had been moping around for days now with no explanation. Cheng had been keeping a careful eye on his foster father and hadn't been able to figure out the reason behind his surly behaviour. Well, his surlier than usual behaviour.

In an out of the way corner Shannon sat and watched the couple with envious eyes. She was half inclined to try and win him like all her other conquests, all the other boyfriends she'd stolen from other girls. It was ironic how she had never wanted any of them the way that she wanted Mahad, but she could have had them. She had had them. Now, the one person she saw as something more than a victory over some other girl was the one person who she could never have. Funny how karma comes back to bite you like that isn't it? Letting him go was proving to be the hardest thing she'd ever done. But she had to, so she would. Dahlia had better appreciate him. She'd better take care of him and cherish him. Because if she didn't, if Mahad ever left her Shannon would be waiting to pick up the pieces. Engrossed with watching the pair with a mixture of sadness and resigned resentment, she didn't notice the person who sat down next to her until he spoke.

"Put a smile on your face sweetheart or people will start noticing how you're the only frowning one at a celebration." The captain's Scottish accent purred in her ear and she started guiltily.

"You're frowning too."

"I'm a bitter old man, I'm allowed." His lips quirked in a half smile and he jerked his head in Mahad's direction. "Love him?"

Shannon spluttered, shaking her head violently "Don't know what you mean- ridiculous- that'd be stupid…"

The captain shrugged. "Suit yourself. I know the expression. I used to wear it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that your cynical bastard of a captain is not a stranger to love"

"But you don't have a girlfriend or wife so- oh. It was…"

"Unrequited. Yeah. Word of advice kid, don't wait for him. He won't leave her. You just gotta accept the fact and try to deal with it."

"Did you...Did you wait for her?"

"Yes."

Shannon hesitated, not sure how far she could push this conversation. "How did that turn out?" She asked tentatively.

Cortes didn't answer. They sat in silence, eating cake side by side, two miserable faces at a happy occasion.

* * *

><p>Diwan slid through the crowd, listening closely to the different conversations and attempting to gain some insight into what was going on. The main topic, regrettably seemed to be the marriage of the older brat and the pregnant pirate. Useless, idle chatter of no great importance. Who really cared what colour the bridesmaid's dresses would be? No wonder these people never managed to form a competent resistance force. Marcus Farrell would be spinning in his grave.<p>

She spotted Shannon in the corner and was rewarded with a heavily distrusting glare before the woman got up and went outside into the garden, where a gazebo and drinks table had been set up.

_She could be a problem. Knows I may not be completely in love with the Dahlia girl ever since I hinted at killing the baby. Doesn't know I tried to follow through though. However, she could maybe come around to my view with just the right amount of nudging. If she doesn't and attempts to rat me out, I'll simply do it myself then find a way to frame her. I doubt anyone would believe bitchy Shannon, rival of Dahlia over sweet little Charlotte._

_You're a sick fucker, you know that Diwan? _Charlotte stated dryly from the back of her head.

_We're both sick my dear Charlotte, you just can't accept that you _are _me. Now, how to put our little...business proposal. She was in the garden-_

Her way was blocked by a glass of champagne that was suddenly thrust into her vision by a pale arm. The arm was attached to Shannon, who held a cold and determined look.

"Outside. Five minutes." The words were hissed into her face before the girl shoved the glass into her hand and flounced out of the room.

_Well, at least that solves the problem of finding her. Maybe she's changed her mind._

Her eyes caught Dominic's gaze from across the room. A weird somersaulting feeling filled her stomach and her face relaxed into a smile without her even wanting to. He smiled back before returning to his conversation, breaking the moment and pulling her from her daze. The emotions she'd begun to feel every time he was near had shown no sign of abating. He only had to look at her and she'd start smiling and blushing without realising, talking to him was a complete nightmare. She could barely stutter out the words or look him in the eye. But she hated him. As soon as she was out of his presence, she could get a grip and remember what he'd done to her.

He looked over her way again and she bumped into a piece of furniture, spilling her drink. _Forget waiting five minutes, I'm not staying here. Shannon can talk to me now or not at all._

The house was jam-packed with people by now and she shoved through them without any thought for them, pushing them aside and into the furniture if they didn't move fast enough. The garden was relatively tranquil, with only a few adults standing just outside the back door on the patio. A drinks table had been set up with a few occupied lawn chairs gathered near it. Shannon stood at the end of the garden, looking out over the sheer edge of the block. The house was built on the edge of Puerto Angel and so the only thing stopping someone from accidentally falling over the edge was a waist height brick wall.

"What is it Shannon?"

The girl's head snapped around and she stepped away from the edge."I know what you did. I overheard Maria telling Wayan. Somebody tried to secretly perform an abortion on Dahlia by slipping her pills. Funny really, because it reminds me of a certain conversation we once had."

"Oh? Which one would that be."

"Don't fucking play with me Charlotte. You know which one I mean. Where were you on the night of June 10th?"

"You expect me to think back two months? Well...I was at home."

"Was anyone with you?"

"Yes, Dominic."

"Oh how very likely," Shannon snarled sarcastically "What were you doing all alone then?"

Diwan gave her a long, blank look with a raised eyebrow, hoping that the girl would interpret it to mean something it didn't. When Shannon blushed then coughed, she knew that the girl had fallen for it.

"Oh. Sorry. Uh..."

"Would you like more details? How it felt? What sounds were made?" Diwan asked loftily and Shannon shook her head hurriedly.

"No, No I'm sorry. I just thought you might know something. I'm...going to go."

She scuttled off and Diwan had to resist the urge to smile at how easily the girl fell for it. She wasn't a threat, clearly. Time to get down to the real plan.

Sparing one last look at the skyline, Diwan left the house and headed for the lighthouse. She had an appointment with the Vector's equipment.

* * *

><p>Over in the bushes, Dominic let the cigarette fall from his fingers unlit. Mila had refused to allow people to smoke indoors, so the smokers had to go and find a quiet spot outside. He'd only come out for a smoke. And to maybe talk to Charlotte. She'd been acting a little strange lately, avoiding him. Laughing a little <em>too <em>hard at his jokes and rushing her words. He'd been worried that maybe she was having problems fitting in here, it had been hard enough getting her to make friends with the others when they'd been living at the family's hideout. It hadn't occurred to him to wonder if her old personality might be breaking out.

He hadn't been with Charlotte. Not in the way she had suggested to Shannon. He would never do that. So if Charlotte had lied about being with him then she must have had something to do with what Shannon had mentioned. But who would do that? Charlotte, the girl he'd known for months would never try and kill somebody else's unborn child.

But Diwan might.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>October 31<strong>******st******** 2252 (5pm) Puerto Angel****

"Aaargh MAHAD!" Dahlia clutched her stomach and leant against the wall, wistfully wondering where her toes had gone. The huge orb of her stomach protruded outwards, blocking all sight of her legs and feet. The baby kicked her again, just for good measure.

"What is it?" Mahad called through from the hall, entering the room a minute later holding a plastic cauldron of sweets which he set down on the coffee table. His fiancé grumbled about him stealing all the room but nevertheless snuggled into his side when he lay down next to her on the sofa.

"Your devil son is kicking me again."

"You don't know it's a boy."

"Oh it's a boy. No woman is this violent."

Mahad gave her a pointed look and she rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly. "I'm not violent."

"If you hadn't shoved me while saying that I might believe you."

"Whatever. This baby is a bo-aaaah god almighty! Ouch!" Dahlia gritted her teeth, hissing with pain. Mahad shimmied down and lay his head on her stomach, rubbing it gently.

"Baby, you gotta stop hitting your mummy. She's getting very...sad about it. Hey, Dahlia he's stopped."

"I told you before, it likes your voice. Mila told me the baby's got fully formed ears now, so it can react to music or voices. I'm just psyched that soon she might be able to see if she can contact it."

"You what?"

"Seijins do telepathy, remember? Technically the baby has thoughts, so she can send images and sorta...feelings or ideas to it. Stuff like stop kicking your mother at any time of the day or night."

"But you have me to tell it."

"Yeah, that's great, except as soon as you leave the baby starts having a nervous breakdown and attacks me."

"Awww, the baby loves me." Mahad cooed, stroking the soft skin of her stomach just as the doorbell rang. "That'll be the first lot of trick or treaters."

"You get it. Trying to get up when you're this heavy is exhausting."

* * *

><p>Later across town, Lena and Cheng wandered along the darkened streets of the town, each carrying a small bag filled with the evening's spoils. Cheng was munching on a marshmallow with gusto, waiting for Lena to say something. She'd been quite that evening, sucking a lollipop thoughtfully.<p>

"Do you think Lee might like me Cheng?" The sudden question came from nowhere just as cheng bit into a chocolate. The nougat stuck his teeth together, giving him a few seconds to think of how to answer diplomatically.

"Well...He's a bit old, Lena. He's busy running Ningxia now that Zalo is getting so ill. Also he erm. He has a girlfriend, I hear."

"_WHAT? _When did you hear this? Who is she?" Lena's face was grief stricken and he regretted telling her.

"I don't know. I only saw her once. She's the same age. I think they studied together."

"Is she pretty?"

"I don't think so. You're better than her."

"Then why did he choose her? I'm only four years younger than him! Why did-"

"Because he's an idiot. I would have chosen you over her any day."

He hadn't meant to say it, but there it was, already said. Nothing could take it back now. Lena was watching him with something approaching understanding and what looked almost like pity.

"Anyway, I'll see you around Lena." He turned and trudged off towards his house, his heart falling

when she did nothing to call him back. She just watched him go.

* * *

><p>Sasha cracked her neck, stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to shake out the tiredness. She could barely believe that it was finally finished. A complete survey and map of Skyland. Glancing back at her passengers, their leader nodded to her, the excitement on his face tangible. It was time to go home.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>November 8<strong>******th******** 2252 – St Nazaire****

Dahlia settled into her chair, grateful that this was her last day at work. She'd never have thought that she'd relish the inactivity ahead of her, but in all honesty, she felt like a whale. A big, useless whale that couldn't join in the fights, could barely get up the stairs without wheezing and grumbling. Seven months to the day almost. Cortes was humming, which for him was like jumping up and down and singing happy songs. In all the years she'd known Cortes, he very rarely got truly ecstatically happy. The guy had grumpy engraved onto his soul.

They were running a routine patrol in the area surrounding Puerto Angel. The Sphere still hadn't come to survey them and they'd begun to believe that they never would. The radio reports had gotten more and more descriptive, bolder and bringing newer and newer information. They said a revolution was coming and that the Sphere was crippled. But the Sphere was running just as well as it usually would. They were repeating the same things over and over again, claiming but never proving.

Maria still clung to the broadcasts though, insisted that her sister was coming. Her relationship with Wayan was a little frosty as of late, ever since he pointed out that they had no idea if the radio had been taken over by the Sphere. The station certainly had stopped reporting on Sphere atttacks, or revealing atrocities committed by guardians. It would make sense, he said, for the sphere to continue the broadcasts if they caught the people doing them. After all, if they stopped the illegal broadcasts people would see that the Sphere was being affected by it. If they kept running the station then they would be able to feed incorrect information to the rebels or anyone listening.

Maria had said nothing when Wayan pointed this, just turned up the volume and flipped him a rude gesture. They'd been sleeping in separate rooms ever since.

"We've got a group of ships on radar." Cheng called anxiously. "Four of them off to our east. Not Sphere made, but it could be a trick."

"Can you try and radio them? See if there's a response" Cortes called back, wheeling the ship around towards the east.

"This is the St Nazaire calling the unidentified ships bearing north, please respond and identify yourself. I see. I'll tell him," Cheng flicked the switch to turn off the microphone. "Cortes, the captain of the ship wants to talk to you. Says she has urgent information for the captain of the St Nazaire."

"Is she Sphere?"

"I don't know."

"Put her on speaker." Cheng pressed another button and Cortes straightened himself before announcing "This is the Captain speaking. What can I do for ye?"

"My name is Sasha Argent. I've come to join the rebellion. Yes, I know that you are part of it. I've known for a long time."

Maria stood up and ran to the communications console "SASHA! Oh my god you're finally-"

"Yes, I am. For good. Now shall we go back to Puerto Angel?"

"You know where we-"

"Yes. I know where you live."

"Creepy" Murmured Cheng as the others bustled around and prepared to head home again, flying alongside the other ships.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>8<strong>******th********November 2252 11.34 am Puerto Angel Docks****

As soon as they landed Maria was over the gangplank and running, half flying towards the other ship. In the distance, Mahad saw another woman doing the exact same in opposite.

"It's like one of those old cliché films isn't it" Sighed Dahlia, smiling and linking her arm in his as they followed Maria at a more controlled pace.

"Yeah. I'm happy for her though. She's missed her sister. Cortes is practically salivating at the idea of what information she might have though. What do you think Dom?"

"I think it's great Sasha's back. I'm not so pleased you guys didn't tell anyone that she was working for the sphere though."

"Cortes thought it was best if only a few of us knew. Or else someone might inform the sphere and she'd get killed."

"Yeah, like I'm going to inform on you all." Dominic glanced imperceptibly across at Charlotte, his doubts about her still not put to rest.

"Take it up with Cortes, man, he's the paranoid one." Wayan reminded, slapping Dominic on the back.

The two sisters were walking towards them too now and Mahad squinted, trying to get a good look at the mysterious Sasha. She came into view and his jaw dropped.

"Oh shiiiii-"

"_Mahad_" Mila warned. "Don't swear. Especially not in front of your child."

"My child? The kid isn't even out yet mum, calm yourself. I was just surprised. You'll never guess, but I've-"

"Met me before" Finished Sasha as the two groups met each other. "Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, but I couldn't tell you who I was. You're how I knew where you live, actually. I followed you back to your ship."

"She helped me choose your wedding ring in Ningxia" Mahad informed Dahlia, who smiled at Sasha.

"Thanks, he would never have chosen something as nice on his own."

"Typical man, hmm? Well, Dahlia, _yes _I know your name, I was making a worldwide survey remember? I have a better wedding gift for you. Searched the whole of Skyland for it."

Over her shoulder, the hatch to the ship she'd just left opened again. A man climbed out, grey flecks in his hair and the stubble on his cheeks. He'd gotten older, certainly. But he was familiar, even at this distance. Dahlia's feet moved in a soft shuffle, which turned to a stumble and then a lopsided run. The man caught her as she barrelled into him and they were both crying, but he was laughing through it and rocking her from side to side.

"My Dad...My daddy Oh my god it's you I missed you dad oh my" She drew back, sucking in a deep breath. His hands cupped her cheeks as his own cheeks folded into a neat grin which she'd almost forgotten. Almost. His grin faltered slightly into a confused look as his gaze dropped.

"Y'know Dahlia...You've gotten a little bit fatter since I last saw you..."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>AN I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but it'll have to do i'm afraid. Next chapter has more action in, I promise. Still, Sasha's finally back and ready to put her plan into action with the pirates AND she found Dahlia's missing father. You'll just have to wait until next chapter to find out what went on there.****


	17. Bang Bang  My Baby shot me down

**A/N We're going to be re-meeting some of the characters from Skyland that made brief appearances. I figured if there had been another series they would have shown up again. I'm very sorry if the first part bores you to tears, not my best piece of work really, but I had to get through at least part of Sasha's plans. We'll be seeing some..interesting visions of what's to come though.**

**This chapter is pretty big. I've been writing it in snippets for ages and ages and it's just got ENORMOUS! Enjoy :)**

**Bang Bang (My baby shot me down)**

_**Now he's gone, I don't know why  
>And till this day, sometimes I cry<br>He didn't even say goodbye  
>He didn't take the time to lie.<strong>_

_**Bang bang, he shot me down**_  
><em><strong>Bang bang, I hit the ground<strong>_  
><em><strong>Bang bang, that awful sound<strong>_  
><em><strong>Bang bang, my baby shot me down...<strong>_

**( Bang Bang – Nancy Sinatra [cover version])**

* * *

><p><strong>1st July 2252 (11.56pm)<strong>

Sasha tossed and turned on the tiny bunk of her ship. The words of her orders rolled around inside her head like a stormy sea, pushing any chance of peace away. Deep cover. Necessary mission. Think it would be wise.

Her teeth ground together in frustration. She had openly hinted at her feelings for him (not that she had any really, not anymore) and he'd either realised to whom she was referring, or remained completely oblivious. Their last conversation kept replaying in her mind like a broken record, no matter how hard she had tried to concentrate on her work for the past day.

"_I think it would be best if you left the ship for a while."_

"_Sir?"_

"_It seems that you have been distracted from your work by the feelings you mentioned last night."_

"_With all due respect sir, my personal life is entirely separate from my professional life."_

"_Your comment is noted lieutenant, however as I'm sure you are aware workplace romances are forbidden, especially for guardians. Emotions interfere with the smooth running of the ship and by extension, the Sphere. A length, necessary mission should help you clear your head."_

"_Commander I am needed here to-"_

"_ENOUGH!" Snapped Oslo, rising from his seat and thrusting a folder across the desk to her. "You will not question my orders. Why should you? I am the commander, you are the lieutenant. You do not ask, you obey. Am I making myself clear?"_

_The folder was snatched from his hands so forcefully he withstood a paper-cut along one palm and Sasha stalked from the room, making sure to slam the door as forcefully as possible. Childish, but satisfying._

Back in the present, Sasha sighed behind heavy eyelids. He'd wanted her to leave. Either he was telling the truth and thought she had feelings for someone within the Sphere and had sent her away in the hope that she would get over it after a lengthy absence or he had realised she loved him and was disgusted with the idea and had organised this mission for her in the hope that by the time she got back she would no longer be so infatuated. Or he just couldn't stand the sight of her. With someone as unpredictable and volatile as Oslo, who knew? She'd thought they had at least grown into an awkward friendship, but it would seem she was wrong. He would treat her just as he would any other employee.

The second in command before her probably had received the exact same treatment. Maybe he'd even preferred the previous girl. From her file she'd been reported to have been a "diligent, loyal enthusiast whose cooperation has always been readily available."

Snorting to herself, Sasha wondered how much of a culture shock she must have been to Oslo when he found out she wouldn't necessarily follow his orders down to the last letter.

* * *

><p><strong>12th July 2252 Lima<strong>

The group sat around the table, murmuring soft plans and promises. Hands were shaken, treaties were drawn up. The air around them was bitter with resentment, laced with a few tones of relief.

The woman amongst them had many names, but the one they knew her as was Band. She wore a Sphere uniform beneath her civilian clothes, the man to her left similarly dressed. Their posture was the only outward indication of their military experience; straight backed and alert, eyes taking in the whole room and assessing it. She tilted her head to her companion, listening to something he had to say before nodding.

"There will be an increased risk of discovery within the next few days. Stay sharp. We will meet again in two weeks time, listen out for the whispers. See if you can find anything out about the infiltrator. We may have to kill them. If they find us..." Her light tone halted before she continued slowly "that could...complicate things. We can not afford that."

Her words sparked fresh muttering, none of which was of great importance. The woman and her companion left them to their churlish discussion, taking a back door into the alley outside. The city was dirty with the filth and squalor of poverty and misuse. They walked in silence, wary of the street gangs that frequented the area.

When she was finally alone, the woman reached inside her pocket and drew out a cigarette. A new habit, born from the stress of living. The guardian academy had taught it's graduates to sneer upon those who lived in such conditions and it was an everyday battle to not give in to those urges, to remind herself that these people were only lowly because they had been pushed there.

The air was humid and she could taste it in the back of her throat as she slotted the cigarette between her lips. There was a dull click behind her and she pivoted on one foot, lashing out with the other on pure instinct. Her assailant back stepped, catching her foot and pulling it upwards. Unable to stop, her momentum carried her legs upwards and her head back until it cracked against the concrete. The rest of her body followed in a crumpled heap as the opponent let go of her foot and moved towards her again. Dazed, she mustered enough strength to lash out again with her feet, catching the hooded figure in the chest. Her blood was pounding with the adrenaline as her fighting lessons came back to her. Rocking backwards, she flipped up and onto her feet assuming a stable stance, watching warily as the figure crawled to their feet. The shadowy figure began to move right, so she circled to the left, ignoring the urge to glance over her shoulder. The alleyway was narrow; she didn't want to end up backed against the wall with no escape route. Her head and back were still throbbing from her fall, but she had no time to be soft.

"Who are you?" She stalled, looking for an escape route, her mind whirring with possible plans.

"Not your enemy." The voice was female, lilting. Band's back unexpectedly hit something and her head snapped around to see what it was automatically. In the split second she looked away the other person attacked, pushing her down to the ground and holding her hands down.

"Relax" hissed the hooded woman. "I just want to talk, Alice."

"That's reassuring, coming from someone who is pinning me down."

"I apologise for surprising you like that, but this conversation is private. I've been very careful to make sure there's nobody within 50 metres who could overhear the offer I'm about to make."

"All that effort for little old me?" Alice bucked, struggling against the woman "I'm touched, you shouldn't have."

"So you don't want to hear my offer?"

"You have nothing I want lady."

"How 'bout a light and a way to defeat the Sphere?"

Alice snorted and rolled her eyes. "I get it. This is a trick. You want me to say yes and then you'll report me to the Sphere for being a secret rebel. Sorry hon, but I'm not buying that trick."

"That's a real shame." There was the dull clicking sound again and Alice belatedly realised that the woman had let go of one of her hands. She stilled as a lighter was touched to the end of the cigarette she still had in her mouth. It illuminated the face of the woman above her, a face she recognised from promotional leaflets with growing confusion and slight awe. The lieutenant commander. Second in command of the Sphere.

With a snap the light of the lighter's lid, the woman blinked out of vision. Alice watched as her silhouette stood, brushed herself off, stuck her hands in her pockets and walked away towards the end of the alley. Her mind was full of doubt, but her mouth betrayed her after a few seconds.

"You can't just leave."

The figure stopped walking but didn't turn. "Really? I thought I had the wrong person. I'm looking for someone called Band."

"You...I don't...Why would _you _want to defeat the Sphere? Why are you looking for Band?" Alice found herself trotting over to the woman, mentally trying to remember the short time she'd spent with the rebel pirates. She remembered Mahad, Dahlia...Sasha had not been a part of that organization, she was Sphere.

"Because they are Wrong. I sent a coded message, slipped inside a pay check for someone who I'd heard was supporting the rebellion in this area. Her real name was Alice. I must have got the wrong one. My sincere apologies."

Sasha began walking again and Alice ground her teeth in frustration. She _Had _received a message inside the envelope with her monthly pay check, but it made no sense. It was just three words. A practical joke. This had to be a trick. But if it wasn't, could she afford to miss this opportunity? No.

"Cross my palm." She called, resting one hand on her hip. Sasha twisted to look at her, smiling.

"With Silver." She answered, grinning at the fact that the girl had finally decided to take the plunge. And that judging by her now shocked face she had caught onto the significance of the reply.

"You're...oh my. You're silver?"

"Delighted to meet you. Now, how about we go somewhere for a nice private chat hmm?"

* * *

><p>Alice stole a glance at her companion, who had not spoken all through their journey to the small house she rented. The kettle beeped cheerfully and her hands mechanically went through the motions of making one cup of coffee and one of tea as she did an internal happy dance.<p>

Ever since Mahad had opened her eyes to the reality of the Sphere she'd done exactly as she'd said to him she'd do. Taken a desk job in Lima, slowly started spreading the word to those in her office. It wasn't easy, trying to do so and not get caught. It was a lonely existence, to hear the people you thought were meant to be your friends gushing about the glory of the Sphere and the despicability of non-seijins. She'd been patient though and it had been rewarded; she was the de facto leader of the resistance in Brasília. Not that they did anything – mainly they just sat around and muttered about the Sphere, how _someone_ should do something. There were a few discreet hits upon warehouses and the old political graffiti every now and then, but that was mainly over eager kids who thought this was some kind of gang, not a proper resistance.

Alice placed the cup of tea in front of Sasha almost reverently, not noticing the older woman's amusement. _The kid is treating me like I'm some sort of war hero; we haven't even started to take action yet._

"I imagine you have questions, Alice. However, I also have a few. My first question is, how long have you been in charge of that little group?"

"A few months. I'm not in charge, not really. I'm just an advisor."

"They distrust you because you are a Sphere agent, yes? Yet you are the one who organizes everything, who brings the information together and organizes the occasional raid."

"I suppose so, yes."

"Yes. Now, I'm going to be very blunt with you since I really don't have the time for prettying anything up. You remember that last month there was an announcement on the radio that there was a relatively unguarded warehouse on this block?"

"Yes! We organized a group and managed to get away with plenty of food-"

"You were seen. A security camera captured your image within the vicinity. What on earth possessed you to go along without a mask?"

"They saw? Why aren't I...?"

"Already dead? Because fortunately for you most of the Sphere's I.T. consultants are on my side of the line. You'd hardly believe it since they're probably the quietest, geekiest people on the Sphere payroll, yet mention a revolution to them and they're jumping for the chance. I think maybe they were too shy, too small, too clever to do anything on their own. But being a part of something big gives them the purpose they'd always craved. Forgive me, I've strayed off subject. The point is, the company who owned the camera sent it to the Sphere for us to investigate, IT blurred the image and put you in the clear. For now."

"You can do that? Just make something go away?"

"Not go away, no. Just keep something in circulation. So the Tech department lie and say there is no image match in the system, keep it buried a while, then pass it on to another of my agents in say...crypto? Then they keep it a while, buried under other paperwork until the point when they go 'silly me, this is clearly an I.T. case, I'll send it down there'. You're aware of the unsolved process, right?"

"If a case remains unsolved or stagnant for three months or more it is referred to the archive where a team of specialists will send it up to the guardian corps." Alice recited.

"Basically if something looks difficult they send it to the top, right under Oslo's nose. By passing it from department to department it is classified as an ongoing case, so it doesn't go into unsolved, it just gets recycled through the system until it's forgotten about, then we remove it discretely."

"Thank you. I'm in your-"

"Debt. Yes. But never mind. Focus on the present. These are your orders, your officer codes, rank and badge of office." Sasha pulled out a large white envelope and set it upon the table. Alice reached forwards but Sasha stopped her and placed a bottle of water on the table. "And this is option two. Amnesia drug."

"Time for me to give the sales speech. I want you in the resistance. The new resistance, that is. You would be receiving orders from me and also giving orders. It's my intention to merge your little group into the resistance; I've been meeting up with small pockets of resistance and putting them all under one flag. You'd have the duty of training all these people, getting them ready for take over day. If you accept, the envelope is yours. If not, drink the water. It'll knock you out and tomorrow you won't remember a thing."

It was depressing really, how fast the kid reached out and snatched the envelope. _So eager for glory and justice. How many like her will risk their lives for this cause? How many will lose that gamble?_

"You have got to be- Are you for real? Seriously, this is? Is this possible?"

Alice looked up and saw that Sasha was already gone, her mug drained. _Well that was a polite goodbye _She thought, reading over the message inside again.

_Dear Major Calligan,  
><em>

_Congratulations upon your acceptance into the Glorious army of the people's revolution. Your officer number will be 8973 and your code name has been assigned "Lewis". Enclosed within this envelope is also a information storage system. The radio known as Liberty radio shall three times per day, at 6am, 12pm and 6pm transmit a message. At 5.55am, 11.55am and 5.55pm you will insert the information storage system into your computer and turn on the radio. A series of numbers will be transmitted to your computer. These are coded orders and information (see your cipher book for decoding) that will stream to the USB and be stored there for your personal use. It is forbidden to show this information to anyone else, as everyone has a different clearance level and will receive only the information relevant to them. In the event of capture, destroy the data storer._

_Also enclosed is your rank pips and your orders. May good fortune follow you. Burn after reading._

Alice looked at the six red pins, rolling them around under the glare of the light. They were oddly shaped, not quite circular with a lighter, almost pink-red line trimming the outside. The resemblance nagged away just out of her grasp. She turned to the other piece of paper, this one clearly hand written in slanting, deliberate pen strokes that curled across the page.

_**Lewis,**_

_**This is of high confidentiality and well above your rank as major, however I believe that it may prove useful so I am entrusting you with the knowledge that sometime between November and January this year there will be what is being referred to as U-day. The revolution has been in talks with Leading members of many blocks, the end result being this; One day, all of the higher ranking officers when they turn on the radio will receive a codeword and set into action a chain of events that can never be turned back. Every cell that the resistance has, on every different block will rise up simultaneously. On some blocks, we have managed to convert the leaders to our regime already. On U-Day we will form an independent nation of different blocks all joined together in defence against the Sphere. There will be a council of leaders set up, even water distribution etc. The logistics are too vast to explain.  
>The reason I have imparted this knowledge is because I would like the three blocks of Brazilia to be set up as one of the main bases of the resistance, along with a few others. It is crucial that this situation is secured, or our trade routes will be blocked. There are two other groups as well as your own little bunch of rebels. I've already been in contact with their leaders and have organised you to meet the men who will be working alongside you to meet you at a set location tomorrow at 8am. Your rank is superior to them, though you may have some trouble bringing them to heel. I entrust that you will cope. Follow the white rabbit.<strong>_

_**Regards, Silver**_

**BURN AFTER READING.**

Alice's mouth turned into a snarl._ Follow the white rabbit? What the hell kind of code is that? She can shove that rabbit up her arse for all I care? Why do I have a male codename as well? I mean Band was stupid, but I didn't choose it. The men thought it was a laugh for me to be "Alice band" Comic genius' the lot of them._

* * *

><p>The artist finished the last line, carefully spraying the numbers onto the tiny pocket watch so that the fingers of the clock point to 8. Stepping back, he surveyed his handiwork. A somewhat harried looking white rabbit was graffitied on the wall before him, facing to the right in a running stance. It was the third one he'd drawn this evening. Sighing, he picked up his bag of spray cans and headed off to start on number four. Being an artist in a revolution was such monotonous work...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>13th July 2252 7am<strong>

Alice stumbled out of her front door, turning the key behind her with absolutely no idea what she was meant to be looking for. She half expected there to be a tiny bunny snuffling it's nose at her on her porch, but no such luck. _Follow the white rabbit, follow the white rabbit..._ Her feet moved on autopilot, taking her along her usual route to work. The crowded inner city morning was smoggy and oppressing. _No white rabbits here, none there...Hell, if there was ever a white rabbit round here it's probably wound up as some street kid's breakfast by now._

There was a hint of white through the dark grey around her and she started, gazing through the thick air. There it was! An enormous white rabbit was painted over the top of the graffiti on a nearby alley wall. It was facing into the alleyway, as if dashing away from her.

_Sasha seriously needs to get her priorities right if she's sending people out to do pointless shit like paint rabbits all over the place. Probably some funny in joke where only she gets the meaning._

Turning left, Alice headed down the alley and into the darkness beyond.

* * *

><p><strong>July 20th 2252 Flagship Olympus<strong>

"Apologies commander, but we have worked out no identifiable code in their words. It would seem that they really are just talking about-"

"The weather? REVOLUTIONARIES DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER! THEY DO NOT SIT AROUND BEING AT ONE WITH NATURE AND SPOUTING ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL THE FLOWERS LOOK! THEY SCHEME, YOU IMBECILE!"

"I'm very sorry sir."

"Not as sorry as you're going to be you snivelling waste of a name! They are up to something! I feel it in my gut! There _IS _a code. There _MUST _be a code, DO YOU HEAR ME CORPORAL?"

"Yessir, sorry sir. Will find the code with great speed sir." Oslo's mouth twisted into a sneer.

"You're a brown nosed little teacher's pet you know that corporal? Nobody challenges me round here anymore, not like..."

"Who, sir?"

"GET OUT!"

The luckless codebreaker ducked as a half full coffee mug was flung at his head with enough velocity to decapitate him. The cup glowed blue with seijin energy as it cartwheeled through the air and smashed overhead, raining lukewarm coffee over him. Beads of it slid under his collar, but he gritted his teeth, bowed curtly and quickly stepped out of the room as Oslo reached for another projectile. Joseph breathed a sigh of relief, jumping as what sounded like a dictionary hit the door he'd just closed. He sneaked a glance at the two desks. Kiya occupied one, but the other was occupied by someone unconverted. No chance of talking to her now, so he left quickly before the other woman got suspicious.

The cryptography department had gotten a raise in status lately from residing deep in the belly of the ship to working on the top level. Still below the level of the mansion-like complex where Oslo and the strategists resided, but above the smothering heat of the engines. Departments got moved around all the time, the top levels occupied by the most important things, which got more funding, more space and more interesting work. There'd never been anything for them to do before the pirate radio came along; their job was to decode any non Sphere transmissions, but there never really had been anything other than small local stations that normally went out of business after one or two transmissions because of the Sphere finding them and torturing them to death.

He pushed against the door until it was half open and squeezed through, conscious now more than ever that he could do with being a little skinnier. The main room had a table split into four sections for the four staff members to sit at and a small adjoining office for him, but the view of that was eclipsed by the boxes of files that were stacked all throughout the room, right up to the door in a labyrinth of precarious towers. He staggered and slid his way between them until he reached the clear oasis that had been built around the table.

"I don't give a fuck if it's bloody inconvenient to you, you better get Mr Burgess on the phone right now mate or I will fucking go down there myself and explain to him why exactly he ain't received a call from me yet, ya get me?"

Joseph winced at Tracy's less than dulcet tones. The woman swore like a trooper, which was fortunate since she was one. She and him were the only two in the office that had been converted so far. Them and Jared, of course. Though he'd been transferred, technically.

"'ello Joe, Jared's in there mate, wanted ta talk t'ya. Said it was well urgent." Tracy jerked a thumb towards the office and propped her feet up on her desk, leaning back. "Those little shits have put me on hold again. I swear to god, I hate whoever invented violins. Flutes as well. Fuckin' hate 'em. So irritating when they just repeat an' repeat..."

Joe nodded, walking away. She wouldn't notice that he'd gone. Tracy was the type that would quite happily chatter away to herself. She was funny, nice, but very loud and crass. He also couldn't resist mentally correcting her grammar and pronunciation. The way she spoke was horrendous.

The furious scribbling of pens and Tracy's voice died away as the office door shut and Jared turned to meet him, a smile spread across his crooked features. His nose was slightly over-large and there was something ever so slightly unsymmetrical about his features, but even under the unnatural glow of the fluorescent lighting, Joseph thought he was beautiful.

"How did it go?"

"Alright."

"That's good."

The words were falsely, painfully light and casual. Joseph licked his lips.

"I think he's starting to suspect."

"You think we should change tactic? Silver's orders were to keep him paranoid, but if he thinks we're compromised and fires us or kills us-"

"We lose any possible advantage. We also die."

"Never a good thing" grinned Jared. "The more we insist there isn't a code, the more he believes that there must be."

"Hurm. Down the Rabbit hole?"

"Exactly what I was thinking. Can we confirm it with Sunshine?"

"She was preoccupied when I saw her. I'll ask Tracy to approach her in the canteen."

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Tracy. We should really give her a codename you know."

"Yeah." Joseph folded slowly into his chair, wincing as Jared frowned, stopping with his handle on the doorknob.

"I wish-"

"I know Jared. I understand. Now go."

"I'll see you later?" There was a slight pleading undertone in Jared's voice and Joe briefly considered relenting. It would be too risky to meet up two nights in a row. Being Gay was something the Sphere and most governments on Skyland strictly opposed, ever since the earth shattering. Such a small percentage had survived that the Sphere had decreed it to be a waste of Genetics and that the ban "wasn't due to homophobia, but due to necessity." Yeah, right.

"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow." Lied Joseph, knowing it would be too risky tomorrow as well. Jared's bottom lip twisted but he accepted it with a nod and left the room.

Joseph allowed his face to fall into his hands, groaning aloud. He spent his days having things thrown at him by his irate commander, then his nights pining for a lover his irate commander refused to let him see. Not that Oslo knew of course. Nobody knew. Well, Tracy maybe. But she had remained surprisingly tactful about it and not brought up the subject of why Joseph in the five or so years she'd known him had never shown interest in a single woman.

_Curse Oslo. Curse the Sphere. Curse all this damn filing. _His thoughts grumbled to themselves _U-Day can't come fast enough. Silver better get a move on. I can't wait for freedom. First thing I'm going to do, _He reflected, smiling _as soon as we defect and show our true colours, I'm going to go up and I'm going to kiss Jared long and hard. Right on the street where everyone can see. Freedom. God I can't wait..._

* * *

><p><strong>20th July 2252 Oslo's office.<strong>

He was still smarting over that stupid simpering simpleton. _WHY DOES NOONE DO ANYTHING ANYMORE? Why did everything go wrong when _she _left? First there was more and more raids, but that damn radio station wasn't giving out any specific information, just slating the Sphere in general. Yet we were getting hit from all sides every day and the reports weren't being filed properly, they were getting mislaid. Then we had the damn hacker and now the computer system is shot to hell. We're back to using pen and paper. Half of these people don't know what a pen is! They grew up with computers. Haven't seen a pen since nursery school. What a mess – Filing boxes just left in the hallways and corridors. This goes deep. And it's sinking deeper every day. Okay, so maybe it's possible some half brained pirate managed to hack the system and delete the files, __crashing everything and all inter departmental communications. But the demolition of the back up archives is no coincidence. The building was sabotaged, all the people manning it are injured or comatose and somewhere some dirty filthy pirate has the entirety of the Sphere data archive storage __units. Thank god we keep some paper records. As for the phones we're now down to auditory only. No visual calling, the hologram program is down so we're back to the ancient handsets. The __patrollers are all fine since they run on an independent system, but the flagship is crippled. We're meant to be the control centre, where all the strings tie together and the information gathers. Instead we're practically in the technological stone age._

Oslo tipped the glass back and smiled blearily at the taste of the gin, flicked the bottle down to pour another. It took him a few minutes to realise there was nothing pouring out. _Empty again. _He sighed and dropped it inside his bottom desk drawer. It clinked against another bit of glass and even through his alcohol muddled senses he could see at least three empty bottles there that hadn't been empty this morning. _Never had this problem before. Liked the odd drink. What's the harm in that huh? Never had this problem before-_

He froze, gripping his desk almost hard enough to leave nail marks. As it was, his hands grew blue with power and the desk began to discolour subtly. Removing his hand before he did any lasting damage, he nursed his temper back into control. His powers slowly receded back inside him. _They keep appearing when I don't want them to. But I still control them. I am fine. I am in control. This will all work out..._

* * *

><p><strong>8th November 2252 Puerto Angel<strong>

"Is this really necessary Aran? Can't you let the girl rest a little? Let her see her family?"

"It's fine George, really. Go catch up with your daughter. And your soon to be step son, grandad"

"Hey you, enough of that talk. Grandad...never thought of that. I guess she grew up a lot while I was...away."

"The tape is already running Sasha, so if you'll just leave George we can start the debrief."

"Going, Aran, going..."

The man winked at Sasha and left, shutting the door with a click and embracing his daughter who was waiting outside again.

"Daddy you're choking me."

"Only because I love you baby girl."

"I'm a woman daddy, I'm having a baby girl of my own. Or maybe a boy. Mahad wants a boy." Dahlia rolled her eyes, smiling. "I just know if it's a boy they're going to gang up on me. I'll have a big kid _and _a little kid to look after."

George laughed and put his arm around her, leading her away from the captains cabin and off the ship. "We've got a lot to catch up on. Where do you want to start?"

The blonde bit her lip "How bout where were you?"

* * *

><p>"Where did you meet George and the others?"<p>

"I liberated them from labour camps. He was on an ice block out west, working in a water processing unit."

* * *

><p>"-It was a horrible place, Dahlia. I won't tell you about it. I know, I know you're a big girl now. But you're always my little girl, understand? I don't want you to hear about it. It was cold and miserable. Let's just leave it there..."<p>

George looked away, out to the horizon where he could see the vague shapes of distant blocks. _How could I ever explain it to her?_

* * *

><p>"They were kept very badly, crammed into tiny rooms, though I suppose that was good to conserve warmth. They didn't have adequate clothing to keep themselves heated. Most of them were dying of hypothermia, hunger or thirst. I don't think I've ever seen anything so acutely sadistic as that place. Not even the things that were done to me. I mean, they were dehydrated, yet they were working with water. Day in, day out, they had to observe their cure pass right in front of them, through their hands and yet couldn't take any for themselves. It was tightly regulated. Just taking a few drops would lose you food for a week, though they didn't give you much to start off with." Sasha finished, sighing.<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay." Dahlia rallied, " Well, if you won't talk about that, how did you escape?"<p>

"Luck. Providence. I don't know. All I know is one day we get told there's someone coming to assess the plant sometime soon. So they make us all shiny, give us warm clothes and enough food for a few weeks. Nobody shows up. So they go back to normal. Can't afford to feed us properly for too long or we might get strong enough to break out."

* * *

><p>"I was running behind – Got caught up in a few places, drumming up new recruits for the rebellion. Anyway, you know about Maria's powers? Well, I have similar ones. I entered the unit unannounced. I saw everything that happened. I've been trying to maintain a low profile since the Sphere still thought I was working for them. But a place like that...I looked into the minds of those men. They were sick. So very, very sick. Like a madness."<p>

* * *

><p>"Then one night she just turned up. Right in the middle of my dorm. There were forty or so to a room, all political prisoners, activists or just people the sphere didn't like very much. She explained who she was. About the new resistance she was making, right inside the Sphere itself, reaching out across the world, on every block. Sasha's been a busy bee, Dahlia. Real busy."<p>

* * *

><p>"I let them free. Most of them stayed behind to man the station. The Sphere will remain unaware right up until the right time. Then they can supply us. Some of the others, like George, wanted to fight. So I brought them back here."<p>

"What about the men? The ones who were manning the station?"

* * *

><p>Dahlia gasped, her eyes widening. "Just like that?"<p>

"They got a fair trial. She made sure of that. Brought up all the record of the people who died through their intentional negligence."

"But...really? She...Oh my god. It was right for her to do it, but...I wouldn't have the stomach, would you?"

* * *

><p>"I made sure it was humane, that they had a fair trial. It was a concentration camp, Cortes. Oh they might have prettied it up and said they had a budget and couldn't afford a little more food, a little more water, better clothes. But they'd be lying. I found the original orders, way back from Oslo's predecessor. He said to give them the necessities of life so that they'd survive, but not for too awfully long. George has been travelling with me for a few months. You should have seen him when I first met him. It was like someone had reduced him right down to the bones. Like a deflated balloon. There's more places like it as well. Some of them are farm camps, or mines. Not all the prisoners got put in Kharzem. Why bother when most of them weren't even seijins? Much easier to "put them to use" then when they were done with them, use their bodies."<p>

"Excuse me?" Cortes choked out.

* * *

><p>"Now, isn't that enough of being bleak and nostalgic? I want to see your fiancé! Does your mother approve of him?" Dahlia froze, searching his face.<p>

"Oh. Um. God. Dad...Mum is dead." She rushed out, looking away from his face.

"How?" Was his quiet reply.

* * *

><p>"Ever heard of porcelain? Well, some types are made with powdered animal bones. Humans are animals too when it gets down to it."<p>

"Hell on earth, you aren't suggesting?"

"Oh yes. It's not sanctioned by the Sphere, I don't think. Most of the bodies get sent off to be used for medical research. They also become organ donors or other things. Why do you think there isn't an enormously long waiting list anymore? They don't ask for permission. They have to get rid of the bodies somehow. Cremating them would mean you have to build the ovens, which are clear evidence of foul play. So they cut 'em up and use all the different parts. Some sugar has its colour removed using bone char." Cortes paused with his sugary coffee halfway to his lips before putting it down with extreme care, as if it were radioactive.

"How do you know?"

"Part of the trial. I examined their minds, remember. One of them was worrying about if I'd find out he'd been fiddling the numbers a little to get even more money for it. I didn't tell George or the others. They almost all of them had a friend in there who died. They all think they're happily buried or cremated. Not that they're strewn across Skyland like confetti" Sasha shuddered at the image. It called to mind pictures of entrails waving in the breeze.

"Bloody hell...I thought the Sphere were bad-"

"It's not them, actually. The imprisonment is down to something different. The sphere employs contractors, basically and they oversee the imprisonment and the upkeep of people who have offended the state. Both the Sphere and the company are run by the same people though. Far as I can tell, they don't have a name. Only refer to themselves as 'The council' or 'the company' like some sort of weird cult."

"Woah, slow down. What?"

* * *

><p>"She killed herself because of me?"<p>

"Because she missed you." George's jaw tightened, the tendon on his neck sticking out. They were in the park by now. Dahlia nestled her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "It's not your fault Dad." His head jerked. There was a soft drop of moisture on her shoulder and Dahlia stopped talking, thinking it better to let her father cry in peace.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight," huffed Cortes running a hand over his brow, completely baffled. "These people blew up the Earth with illegal nuclear weapons, covered it up by blaming it on humanity as a whole, for apparently no reason?"<p>

"Yes. Though I don't doubt that the reason will become known. I'm assuming they did it to cause chaos enough to take over the world, using the Sphere as their weapon."

"It's a little far fetched."

"I found one of the members and he confessed to it."

"You can get him to give evidence to the court?"

"Unlikely seeing as he's dead."

"I suppose you had nothing to do with it?"

"Of course I didn't! I'm not a murdering lunatic."

"You killed all those men at the water station."

"Men get killed. Vermin get put down. You seem to have thought I was going to be something I'm not Captain. No doubt Maria has told tales of how noble and righteous I am. I'm thankful she has a little bit of naïveté left. I'm not monster Captain – I do not relish having to be the one to dole out justice. But somebody has to. I've done horrible things to horrible people, captain Cortes. And I do not regret a single thing, because it was necessary."

Cortes sat back in his seat, regarding her in silence for a few moments. She was similar looking to Maria, same height and hair colour. But it was the eyes that really showed the difference between them. They were identical to Maria's in colour and shape, a beautiful dark brown. But whereas Maria's seemed to express every single emotion and reflected her bouncy temperament, Sasha's were somehow more...disturbing. There was something about them that screamed _WRONG! _But he couldn't quite decide what was bad about them. They weren't sad, or tired looking, or malevolent. Finally, he put his finger on it. They were nothing. Completely guarded. She could smile and frown, but it never touched her eyes. He felt sorry for her. She'd lost something, he sensed. Maybe once she'd laughed like Maria did, but somehow he got the feeling Sasha was never as moon-brained as her younger sister.

"You're a hard woman to place Sasha." He sighed, shaking his head at her. "It's even harder to understand you."

"You don't need to understand. Just accept. There's so little time left before everything changes. It'll be any day now that the call goes out and we begin our exodus through hell's gates. U-day will make or break us."

"What is U-Day?"

"Unification day. The day on which the new resistance will rise up and throw out the old regime. I assume we can count on your experience in this?"

Cortes was slack jawed before he quickly replied "Yes, of course, yes. We'll be openly resisting again?"

"Yes. We'll be a network of independently run blocks. Much bigger than the empire the Farrells built. My sphere agents will defect, crippling the sphere on the way out, though it's currently in trouble as it is. They'll take up residence on different blocks and use their Sphere combat training to help defend us as a new defensive army."

"That's why you kept most of those men behind at the water station. You're going to claim it when U-day comes along, aren't you?" Cortes smirked, seeing the little bits of her plan slotting together like tiles.

"Yes. All of the Sphere's prisoner run facilities have been quietly taken over by their inmates. They're fee for being set free was to work there a while. When we get everything sorted out they'll receive wages for their work, but right now we're a little...communist, I suppose. Everybody works for nothing and shares the products equally."

"Huh. You'll never get it to work easily. The bigger you get, the more chance of winning you have, but it's more mouths to feed, more houses to find..."

"I'm sure we'll work it out." Sasha smiled at him, fleeting and not quite genuine, her eyes still betraying nothing. She was definitely not right, he decided. "But we've got a few months to prepare still. I've managed to finish the survey earlier than my deadline. I'm meant to have returned to the flagship on January 9th. So we have two months left to continue getting last minute recruits."

"Plenty of time then."

"It'll be over before you know it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>10<strong>__**th**__** June 2253 Puerto Angel.**_

"_Stay with me Louis, keep your eyes open-" She muttered, begging the blood caked man in her lap to get better. There was an explosion overhead and she threw herself over the top of him, shielding him as shrapnel crashed down around them. He spluttered and coughed in her ear and she clenched her fingers, digging into his shirt._

"_You need...leave me." She shook her head violently, tears tracking down her cheeks. _

"_Never. I can't."_

"_You must." He seized her face with one hand. It slipped down, slick with blood, but she caught it and held it, kissing the palm and tasting the salty iron that was his life force._

"_I won't."_

"_Jeyna." His eyes were fixed to hers, unblinking. She waited, denying the truth. The truth that he was gone, his eyes unseeing. She opened her mouth to wail, to scream at the sky, but it was just another amongst many on this night of horrors. She sat in the street she had hoped to raise her family upon, clutching her dead love and pining for the children stolen from her as the Sphere ships overhead descended from the star-smeared sky..._

* * *

><p><strong>8th November 2252 Puerto Angel<strong>

Jeyna's head smacked against the table and she awoke with a startled cry. Her baby boy giggled at her from his high chair, crowing with delight and holding his hands up so she could see his breakfast smeared all over them.

"David..." She sighed, drawing him out of the chair and carrying him upstairs for a much needed bath. First, though, she stopped for a moment to hold him to her, the dream fresh and dreadful in her mind. He burbled in her ear, blowing bubbles and chuckling to himself toothlessly. Louis was heading down the stairs as she was climbing them and he squeezed past with a heart warming smile that made her want to ask him to stay.

"You look tired, want me to bath him?"

"No, you're already late, go on. They've been good to us, we should repay it as best we can." She accepted his hasty embrace, grateful for the reassurance his touch offered. He was real. The dream was not.

She bathed David, singing him a soft lullaby. The words meant nothing to him, in fact he seemed completely disinterested, but she lavished him with her attention. The dreams didn't always come true, after all. Not always. This one seemed so unlikely, despite it's vividness. She hadn't dreamed like this in years; not since the compound. Puerto Angel was silent, tranquil. It was hidden. Why would the Sphere attack them?

She heard he door open just as she'd finished towel drying David, who had crawled off to play as soon as she put him down. _Louis must have forgotten to take his lunch again... _She rolled her eyes and went out to the kitchen.

"You are such a- What's wrong?" His face was flushed and he was out of breath, his eyes wide.

"Sa- Sasha's back. She's here." He laughed and drew her into his arms, whirling her around the kitchen "She's back Jeyna, isn't it wonderful? She can meet David, won't it be surprising? We were so young when she last saw us, it's been 12 years..."

Jeyna nodded where required, only half listening. _Sasha. Oh Lord preserve me. That woman attracts trouble like flies to honey. The dream...I should ask her about it. David, Louis...Others whose faces I didn't see could be lost. She always talked about revolution, about rising up, back when we were not more than children. Hot headed, stupid children. Well, now I've got a child. And I'm not risking him so she can fulfil her sense of duty. _

"Get your coat." She instructed bluntly, fetching David from the tower of bricks he'd been building. He squealed indignantly and squirmed, so she handed him two bricks which he promptly put to use by smashing them together repeatedly. Marching out the front door of the tiny house the pirates had sorted for her, Louis falling into her wake, she headed for the dockyards.

* * *

><p><strong>8th November 2252 Puerto Angel: Diwan's residence.<strong>

Stretching her hands above her head, hearing the bones pop into place, Diwan looked at herself in the mirror. Charlotte's face stared back at her. She detested it. The way the chestnut hair curled around to frame her chin, hid her tattoo (If it was even still there), how her eyes now wore green eye shadow which complemented her skin tone, instead of her usual red. The difference couldn't be more marked. They had the same features. But where Diwan hid her body in black and made her skin look pallid by such a great contrast with the red, Charlotte had dressed in light green or olive. The few items in her wardrobe were all Charlotte's taste. Curiously, she liked them too. She liked how they looked on her. She liked how the hair was sleek and spiky at the ends. She liked that it made her look attractive. Was she becoming like Charlotte? Or had she always been like Charlotte? Would she have been Charlotte, if she hadn't gone to the guardian academy as her parents wished?

_Yes. You would. I'm the kind version of you. The one who never got brainwashed into thinking they're a supreme being. The one who fell in love with a geeky boy because of how caring he is. The boy who heals with his hands._

_I would not be you. If I had not gone to the academy, I would not have fallen from the St Nazaire and been made into you by the filthy healer boy. You would not exist if I had not lived the life I have lived._

_You wouldn't have been me, not exactly. But you'd be better. You'd not be trying to kill a baby. You wouldn't be breaking into the Lighthouse at any opportunity to try and get in contact with the Sphere._

_They still haven't replied to my transmissions. Why? They must have received them. _

_Maybe Oslo doesn't want you back. Have you considered that? From what I've seen of your memories you practically threw yourself upon him-_

_He did not indicate that he was adverse to my attentions _Diwan retorted, pacing the room _He and I were a perfect match. His vision, my passion for his vision-_

_Oh get a room. He's a bald, 35 year old man with enough emotional baggage to fill an entire warehouse._

_It would not matter. We share a cause, a goal._

_You share a neurotic dream. Get over it_

Diwan ground her teeth, back to looking in the mirror. _This Sasha woman, _She considered to herself, _Is clearly a traitor. She usurped my position. It is not unreasonable to assume that she has accomplices. It is imperative that I inform commander Oslo. The child however, is also of high priority. Procrastination is no longer necessary. I have uncovered the leak within our system. I will kill the child, steal a mosquito and return to the commander. He will thank me for finding our traitor, shut down the radio, restore order and rid me of this intruder within my mind. _

_Oh give me a break, please. You're almost getting wet at the thought of seeing him again, aren't you?_

_He has extensive prowess in areas of telepathy and mind invasion. He will drive you out, imposter. You will cease to exist. _Diwan stated smugly, chuckling. Charlotte's fear was present in her mind. She tied her hair back methodically so it wouldn't get into her way. It was a sunny day. All the better for her to go hunting. Retrieving a medium sized knife from the kitchen, she tucked it into her sleeve so that the handle rested within her palm, the flat of the blade against her arm.

"Ready." She murmured, grinning wickedly.

* * *

><p><strong>8th November 2252 (2pm) Dahlia and Mahad's house<strong>

George sat in his old chair, wondering at how little it had changed. It wasn't worn at all, he noted with some sadness. She hadn't touched it. Or his wife's old armchair by the look of it. The sofa was battered from use, but the chairs were as pristine and comforting as he remembered. Was the memory of them so painful that she couldn't even bring herself to sit in this seat? Still, he was grateful for this small oasis of normality in the changed house. The walls were yellow, but newly painted and quite cheerful. There was a picture of her and Mahad on the mantelpiece over the fire and he picked it up to inspect it.

It had the look of a photo that had been taken surreptitiously; Mila no doubt. He knew her tricks. They were standing on the edge of the block before a beautiful burnt orange sunset, Mahad standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her and his head buried against her cheek. She had her hands resting lightly on top of his and was gazing up at him with such a look of tender love that it made him slightly misty eyed. He remembered his wife looking at him with the exact same expression. Dahlia wandered in with a tray of cakes and set it on the coffee table, massaging her back.

"You shouldn't be carrying stuff in your condition." He reprimanded lightly and she waved it off.

"You shouldn't be doing any work. You only just got back, I want to spoil you" Dahlia grinned and sat down carefully. She still couldn't quite believe he was here, he could tell in the hungry way she watched him. It was as if she expected this was a dream and was hoping not to wake up. He picked up a small cupcake, trying to remember when he'd last eaten icing. When he'd last eaten anything sugary for that matter.

"I don't think we'll be having treats like this much longer, Dally. There's going to be a war on. I'll bet my bottom dollar that we'll go into rationing."

"Really? It won't be that bad, surely? We're just going to be making a little space for ourselves, not fighting world war three."

"I wish it were, Dahlia. But you haven't spent time with Sasha have you? The woman's on a mission. There's something driving her hard. She says its her family, but she could easily settle down here, hide out." George shook his head, genuinely baffled. "She's an enigma, that one. But make no mistake; She's set herself out on a crusade to be free of the Sphere."

"Sounds...interesting. I thought she'd just give us some information then leave us to it." He shrugged and dusted the crumbs off his hands.

"I guess she changed her mind. But enough of this melancholy wondering. The future isn't upon us and the past shouldn't burden us. I want to hear about you." He was leading her through to the workshop now, grinning as he pushed open the door.

The room was exactly how he'd left it, but well kept and obviously lived in. She had some tools strewn across his old workbench, a set of Schematics showing various parts of a bike laid flat, pinned under an empty mug. He leaned to read it and nodded appreciatively.

"I've been planning to finish up that project you were going to do right before..before you disappeared. You remember? You'd just recovered this heap of junk" Dahlia flicked her toe at a crumpled heap of metal. He exclaimed happily and ran his fingers over it.

"You kept it? Haven't fiddled with it?"

"Sure. What's so special about it?"

"Oh EVERYTHING! This is incredible, I-"

The doorbell rang and he held up a finger "Hold that thought while I let Mahad in. Find me my old project book, will you?"

With that, Dahlia's father dashed from the room like a hyperactive child at Christmas. Dahlia waddled over to the shelves, thinking ruefully of the days where she was fit and toned. A muscle in her leg jolted painfully and she leant against the counter for a minute. There was scuffling behind her announcing her father's return, so she straightened before he got worried about her welfare.

"So was it Mahad or-"

Dahlia's eyes widened. Her father was pale, gulping for breath. Probably due to the fist yanking his head back by the hair and the knife held at his throat by none other than Charlotte. Gentle, kind Charlotte. Charlotte, who had barely spoken a word in the time she'd been here, let alone gotten angry.

"Charl-"

"Diwan, actually, _pirate_. Thought I was dead, didn't you. Threw me out of your ship without a second thought, like I was _garbage_. Well, who's the winner now? I know all about this block. I know that Sasha is the one feeding information to you. How I will be congratulated. Oh, I shall be given a medal! Oslo will be delighted that I have handed him the location of the dregs of the pirate rebellion. Getting rid of my replacement is just the icing on the cake."

"What do you want, Diwan? Don't. Just Don't hurt him, okay?"

"What's it worth?"

"Anything. I swear, I'll do anything you want."

The woman shifted and the knife chafed George's skin, drawing a thin jagged red line. "You know, I was going to just abort your child. Then when that failed I was going to kill you. But I think killing him might be even more _fun."_

"Oh my god no, please, no!" Dahlia shook her head, desperate not to lose the father she'd only just rediscovered.

"Out of curiosity, if you had the choice, who would you save, your father or Mahad?" Diwan giggled dementedly at Dahlia's muteness. "Difficult decision, huh?"

"You have Mahad as well?"

"Bingo. Give the gal a medal. Now, Dahlia. I'm going to give you a choice. You can come with me real quiet and I'll maybe consider not killing them both. I'll give them to Oslo instead. You can either come with me and consign them to prison, or fight me and cause both of their deaths and that of your child."

"You can't take my baby. I won't let you. You can't do it without killing me first."

"Oh I can. Even if I have to carve the little demon spawn out of you. I will leave you empty. Do you understand me?"

"Dally, don't-" Diwan covered George's mouth.

"What's it gonna be huh?" Diwan raised an eyebrow.

* * *

><p><strong>8th November 2252 – 2pm Puerto Angel<strong>

Sasha popped her neck, glad to be finally done with the debrief. It had taken hours to explain the system to Cortes, but she was finally free. Her family were waiting over the gangplank to meet her. Maria and Dominic flung themselves into her arms first. Then there was just the feel of many pairs of arms around her, making her the centre of their little group. Warm embraces from every side brought tears to her eyes. She'd never realised how much she'd missed them.

"Sasha-"

"So glad-"

"Can't believe-"

"You're back-"

"Is it true-"

"Staying for good-"

"Sphere-"

"**SASHA!"**One voice roared above all the others and one hand from the edge of the circle weaved through and plucked her out. The speaker was a young woman in her early twenties, indian, carrying a little boy on her hip. Jeyna. Her hair was escaping from the tight ponytail and waving in her face, which was hastily made up.

"It's urgent. I must-"

Sasha dragged her away, nodding apologetically to the others cries of dismay. "Dream?" She murmured and Jeyna nodded.

"It was awful. Vivid. We...We were being attacked. Not now, It was summertime in the dream."

"Tell me everything."

Sasha listened attentively as Jeyna retold the dream in detail, her face growing even more disturbed as the story went on. Jeyna's quirk which had warranted her being locked into the compound was precognition. Glancing around, she pulled Jeyna even further away from the others.

"There's something I haven't mentioned yet, I was going to keep it on the down low. We have a rat in our midst." Sasha muttered, pulling out a tiny pocket communicator and pressing a button on it. "Listen to this."

"_Calling the monolith, this is...Number 324...I am upon the rebel pirate block...my coordinates are...requesting orders..."_

Jeyna frowned "The Monolith went down over half a year ago! How could this agent not know?"

"You guess is as good as mine. But the transmission came from this block. It was sent to an old relay unit. We blocked out the frequency so that the Sphere never got it. There was interference so we didn't get the full unit number or we'd know who we were dealing with. But they're Sphere and they've been out of contact with the Sphere for months-"

"Oh my god. Oh MY." Jeyna's hand fluttered to her mouth. "I know who it is. It's Charlotte. She- She's Dominic's charity case. He found her all battered up and healed her. It erased all her memories. We took her in, but she's such a sweet girl, couldn't remember a thing. Wouldn't hurt a fly. She babysits David someti-"

"You all _knew _she was Sphere?"

"We were suspicious at first, but Elliot read her mind and she honestly couldn't remember a thing. How-"

"Where is she now?"

"Well, she's part of the family she's over- No, she isn't there."

"Who was she? Is she a seijin?"

"Yeah, she's a seijin, quite powerful- Hey, where are you going!"

Sasha ignored her, sprinting over to Dominic with a passionate fire blazing across her face. He turned, grinning and opening his arms as if to catch her in a hug. She punched him in the face.

"WHAT THE _FUCK _WERE YOU THINKING? BRINGING A SPHERE AGENT INTO OUR FAMILY?"

"She- She can't remember a thing?"

"Look around Einstein, if she still can't remember then why is she mysteriously not here?" Sneered Sasha, throwing her hands in the air. "She tried to contact the Sphere. She's seen my true colours. Most likely she's halfway to the Sphere by now, ready to inform Oslo about our location _and _that I'm not loyal to him. We've been planning for months. I was going to return on a set day, commandeer their ship and thus remove their operations centre."

"I'm sorry, alright! What did you expect me to do!"

"I expected you to _protect _this family!"

"Is that what you were doing then, hmm? All those years working for the Sphere, that was for us huh?"

"Yes! Always for you! Always protecting every single one of you. I'm sick of-"

"You're sick? You've been fine! You've been having three meals a day and plenty of water! What did we have? Oh yeah, the assurance that we were 'safe'. Well thank you Sasha, but safe doesn't fill bellies."

Maria stepped in, prodding Dominic harshly in the chest. "That's enough Dom. You know she did it for us. Without her you'd still be in that compound having tests done on you. All of you! Don't you dare forget that. Yeah, she hasn't been around. But that wasn't her fault."

Dominic deflated slightly, still glaring. Sasha just huffed. "We need to search the block ASAP. You never know, we might get lucky and find she hasn't left yet. Dom, you run and tell Cortes. I want everyone on the streets right now. Find her. Maria, me and you are taking to the sky. Elliot, listen out for her. Pippa!"

A slight young woman danced her way over, smiling. "Do I get to use my powers now?"

"Please, do."

Pippa smirked, settling down into a seated position on the ground. Minutes elapsed until Cortes came huffing up, gun at the ready.

"What in the hell-"

"We got a problem. Sphere agent on the block. Charlotte." Cortes's eyebrows raised

"That little mousey girl? She's as docile as-"

"She used to be Sphere, just lost her memories." Dominic interrupted. "Her name was Diwan."

Cortes and Sasha's faces both froze into identical expressions of disbelief before Cortes flicked the safety of his gun and grabbed his Radio.

"Wayan, do not let Cheng out on this one. We're after Diwan."

"Diwan? Are you-"

"I'm deadly serious. Now let's find her and what the hell is that girl doing?" Cortes finished disparagingly, watching Pippa with interest.

"You recall that my family is rather...special? Each has an individual little quirk, or are at the very least seijin? Well...Pippa is a tracker, of sorts. She can sense-"

"Got her! She's on the block, eastside near the park. Dahlia's house."

"Dahlia's the one who threw her out of the ship." Cortes exclaimed, rushing off in the direction of the house, his feet pounding on the cobbles.

Sasha took to the sky, Maria a beat behind her. The day was cloudless and bright; the guardian would be at the height of her powers. Angling her body, Sasha slipped ahead, flat like a bullet. Landing in the back garden, she felt out mentally for George or Dahlia. Even the Mahad kid would do. She could feel the soft thrum of three consciousnesses emanating from the garage that adjoined the house on one side. She began to switch to invisibility when there was a crash from inside followed by a shout of pain. Throwing caution to the wind, she dashed inside.

George was panting, struggling with a knife wielding Charlotte. The woman was smaller than him, but equally matched in strength. The knife was sliding closer downwards towards his face as he fought to push her off of him. A long jagged cut marked his collarbone but otherwise he looked okay to Sasha, who took advantage of the momentary surprise of her entry to throw herself on Diwan from the side, tumbling them both to the ground. She rolled, her eye caught something thin and shiny lying on a workbench and she snatched it up, twisting in mid-air to avoid the knife as Diwan swung it towards her.

There was a dull grating noise as the metal hit concrete, but Sasha was already preoccupied blocking the next assault. Diwan threw the knife, missing when Sasha turned intangible so that it passed through her.

"What. ARE. You?" She snarled, "Think you're a hero?"

"No" Sasha rasped, fingering the item hidden in her right hand. Diwan's hand lashed out, hitting Sasha's side as she sidestepped, grasping one of Diwans hands. The woman resisted, pulling away and Sasha stopped it with a swift elbow to the face. Slamming the guardian's hand down onto the desk, Sasha whipped out the screwdriver and drove it straight through the woman's palm with a sickening squelch.

Diwan's eyes rolled back and she howled. "I'm pretty damn fast though." Sasha finished sarcastically, stepping back to survey her handiwork.

The move proved to be her undoing. Diwan's right hand darted up and ripped the offending Screwdriver out and lunged forwards with a crow of delight. Almost too slowly, Sasha went to dodge but there was nowhere to go in the confined space. The blunt instrument ripped into her soft stomach tissue and wedged there. The pain was excruciating and she whimpered, crying out fully when Diwan drove a flat hand against the handle of the screwdriver, driving it in even deeper so that it twisted.

"George, get out of here." Sasha stumbled backwards before catching her balance and summoning her seijin powers. _The wound isn't bad. Stomach wounds can bleed for hours before they become fatal. She hasn't hit any vital organs. Keep going. Stay strong. _She whispered the words to herself, hearing George and Dahlia leave and noting how Diwan ground her teeth in frustration.

"You're a goner then." The guardian stated companionably, nodding to the blunt tool embedded in Sasha's side. "That's got to sting"

_Yes it does. _"Just a flesh wound." _Look at all that blood. It's not all mine, is it?_

"Of course. Tell me, how's the commander these days?" _She's trying to distract me. Play along, look for an opening._

"I couldn't say. We're not friends."

"Well of course not. You don't share the passion he has. The passion I have." Diwan spouted, full of pride.

"You were a couple?"

"We thought and acted as two halves of a whole. He was my idol, my god. I was his right hand, who dealt justice upon the deserving."

"Murdered innocents."

"Nobody is innocent."

"You slept with him?" Sasha accused, not sure where the question came from.

"What's it to you?"

"Everything." Sasha spat out, before realising her slip. Diwan's face twisted into a smile of delight.

"You have feelings for him? Why-"

Sasha pounced, blind rage taking over her actions. Her hand whipped around and into Diwan's face with a crunch, causing the woman to stumble backwards, blood dripping from her nose. Sasha threw herself onto her, hitting out randomly without any sort of accuracy. At first, Diwan seemed to cave under the sheer force of the attack until the large rolling door of the garage was thrown open by Maria. Sunlight blasted into the room and with a snarl, Diwan threw off Sasha and sprinted outside, blasting Maria with energy as she passed. Sasha wheezed, feeling her ribs. Only one broken, she deduced. The adrenaline would keep her going.

The sunshine was weak and the air bitingly cold outside as she shielded her eyes to look for Diwan. The guardian was nowhere to be seen, but Sasha didn't deceive herself into thinking that was because she was gone. There was a cough behind her and a sliding sound as Maria got to her feet. Sasha felt her sister come to stand beside her, turning over what Diwan had said in her head.

"You know, before you would have freaked out at me being hurt. You'd have been checking me over right now, scolding me for getting in trouble." Maria remarked quietly.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"Of course. Are you?"

There was a dark hint in her words and Sasha knew she wasn't asking if she was alright physically. But what was there to say? It hadn't occurred to her until Maria pointed it out, but she hadn't spared even a thought for Maria when Diwan threw the energy ball at her. She'd been more caught up with vengeful thoughts of catching Diwan, making her pay...for what?

"I'm always fine." She smiled fakely at Maria "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well...for starters you have a screwdriver in your side still."

Sasha looked down, realising what her sister said to be true. The metal of the tool was still entirely lodged in her side. The blood from the wound was still pouring thickly out and was encrusted on the surrounding skin in a crumbling layer. As she looked at it, it began to hurt more and more. _Goodbye adrenaline high _she thought miserably to herself. Her fingers toyed with the handle before swiftly pulling the tool out. Blood spurted out around her fingers, sticky like treacle _Shouldn't have done that._

"Why did you do that? Jesus Sasha! It was holding some of the blood in-"

The world seemed to grey around the edges. Vaguely, she wondered why her vision wasn't narrowing like it did in every film she'd ever watched. They always showed people losing their hearing, their vision darkening and narrowing dramatically. This was nothing like that.

All she could remember afterwards was the sound of Maria swearing like a trooper, the flint coloured sky and the outline of Diwan standing on the roof of the house above where Sasha lay, unseen by Maria. The distant figure crouched, watching Sasha before turning and leaving.

_I won't die. Has Maria forgotten? Either Dom will heal me or I'll be fine on my own. Honestly...I don't feel like dying today. I have too much work to do..._

* * *

><p><strong>November 8th 2252 (10pm)<strong>

Oslo was settled in his room, glaring at the ceiling from where he lay upon the bed. Sleep evaded him every night, slipping through his fingers like water. He'd considered resorting to pills, but that would require seeing the doctor and if the rumour he was in ill health got out that could prove damaging, especially in such a precarious situation as the current state of the sphere.

The cryptography department had discovered that there was a code in the transmissions in the form of a subroutine program. It was a list of numbers, usually about 3 thousand digits per transmission. The department had found it soon after he started throwing things at their head of staff. Things after that had been less promising, with the team absolutely baffled and chasing their own tails. If only the computer systems were working they might get some luck by running it through a machine.

A soft knock on his door alerted him to someone else's presence. Something else had gone wrong, undoubtedly.

"Come." He barked, throwing his legs out of bed. He wasn't going to get any sleep anyway.

"Apologies for disturbing-"

"Cut to it man." Oslo yanked his shirt on, clicking his neck.

"Your second in command is here, she requested to see you immediately."

His head snapped up, "She's here? What else did she say?"

"Nothing sir. She told me to tell you that only."

Oslo left, not bothering to listen to that imbecile any longer. Sasha was back early? Why? Was she injured? Had she run into trouble? Or could there be a more pleasant reason? Had she come back to see him? Was she just passing through the area? The practical side of him warred with the part that revelled in the idea of her return.

_You're being a fool. She would never be coming back to visit after how you parted ways. _

_She is back though. For any reason, I am glad that she has returned. I'll make her stay, convince her that I need her here. I DO need her here; everything is going wrong. I need an extra set of hands._

_You want her back for her company. Not her efficiency at sorting out this mess._

_Maybe I do. Is that a crime?_

_It is when you make exceptions because of her and show weakness._

There was a figure with their back to him as he descended the main staircase. The hair was short and darker brown than he remembered. _Did she change her hair? I wonder how it looks from the front. Anything suits her face, though._

The person turned and he stopped halfway down the stairs. This wasn't Sasha. His smile, which he'd felt tugging at his face, faded.

"Well, you don't have to look so miserable. After all, I'm bringing excellent news."

The voice echoed in his brain, familiar yet long unheard. "Diwan? You look...different?"

"Indeed. I was undercover. I have found the Sphere's traitor!" His face twisted back into a dark grin, not at all like the smile he'd worn earlier.

"Excellent news! Who is it? I take it you dealt with them accordingly?"

"Naturally. It was you new second in command, Sasha."

Silence greeted her words. _Sasha? She wouldn't- Yes, of course she would. She knew that her family were free and in hiding. She had nothing to make her be loyal anymore. But...She said she was only interested in finding out the truth. We were going to find the company together. I never thought she'd turn on me. Well, the Sphere, not me. She knows what my position means to me, she knows I needed to get to the top so I could improve the Sphere, make it fair._

"Commander?"

"Yes, apologies, I was just surprised that is all. Bring her in I'd very much like to question her."

"Well, that'll be difficult since she's dead." Diwan chuckled, oblivious to the effect of her words.

If Oslo had been a fanciful person he might have thought that it was his heart aching. But the heart is just a piece of muscle for the purpose of pumping blood. No; it was his soul that moaned in torment, that felt like it was ripping itself in half in despair.

"Dead? How."

"I killed her, naturally. She was a traitor." Diwan's words continued but Oslo didn't bother to listen. The rift in him was fresh and gaping. He struggled to remain natural.

"How did she die?"

"I stabbed her and broke her bones. She must have been in a lot of pain, but she kept going. Strong woman. Just not that strong."

_Oh why, Sasha. Why did you walk into the path of Diwan? Diwan, who was meant to be dead? How can one person attract so much trouble to themselves?_

"It's funny, because I only managed it by distracting her by talking about you."

"Explain yourself?" He whispered, barely holding himself together. The blue white of his fingers the only outwards sign of his inner deterioration.

"It would seem that darling Sasha had feeling for you. A paradox, since she was trying to bring you down. But a little lie about the nature of our relationship and she was after me like a mad tiger. Gave me quite the wound" She grimaced and held up her hand, which was heavily bandaged.

"Let me see the memory. Open your mind."

Diwan nodded eagerly and he could see it as she had, vividly as if it was happening right now.

_**Sasha was trapped between her body and the desk. The impact of the screwdriver going into Sasha's side was satisfying. Not enough. She twisted her hand and was rewarded with the look in Sasha's eyes. Finishing by hitting the end of the tool so it went even further, Diwan drew backwards.**_

_**Sasha looked like a mess. Half bent over, eyes still looking straight into Diwan's eyes. She spoke evenly, level and calm.**_

"_**George, get out of here." **_

"_**You're a goner then. That's got to sting"**_

"_**Just a flesh wound." The blood was pouring around the implement, stemmed only temporarily. She was being strong. Giving the other pirates a chance to run, which they did without even glancing back. Cowards.**_

"_**Of course. Tell me, how's the commander these days?" **_

"_**I couldn't say. We're not friends."**_

"_**Well of course not. You don't share the passion he has. The passion I have." Diwan spouted, full of pride.**_

"_**You were a couple?" Sasha's face was twisted in a different type of pain to that in her stomach.**_

"_**We thought and acted as two halves of a whole. He was my idol, my god. I was his right hand, who dealt justice upon the deserving."**_

"_**Murdered innocents." Sasha spat, but her eyes held nothing at all.**_

"_**Nobody is innocent."**_

"_**You slept with him?" Her words were accusing, emotion breaking into them.**_

"_**What's it to you?"**_

**_"Everything." Sasha spat out and Diwan smiled_**

"_**You have feelings for him? Why-"**_

_**Sasha leapt forwards.**_

Oslo pulled himself out of the memory, turning away from Diwan quickly. He had tears in his eyes. _She had feelings for me? But she said she loved another. Oh my god. She said she loved SOMEONE. Could she have meant me? Who else? I've been an idiot. She was in love with me and I tossed her aside because I was jealous of the other man, when the only man she ever talked to, ever laughed with on the boat was me. She never made a big point of talking to anyone else. I thought she was using me as an alibi for Cameron's disappearance. Heaven help me I was so wrong._

It was worse than when he had believed her to not care about him. Knowing that he could have had a chance with her, if he had only known earlier added salt to the wound. It had been horrible to know he would never see her again, but it was worse to know that if he hadn't been so pig-headed and sent her away he could have seen her every day for the rest of his life.

"Show me her death." His lips said.

_**She was lying on the ground in her sister's lap, silently looking up at Diwan. The blood was everywhere; she'd pulled the screwdriver out herself. Foolish. Her eyes held no pain, nor did her face have any expression other thank blank acceptance. He'd always loved her eyes and now they wrenched away from Diwan's eyes and gazed off into the sky. Sasha moved no more.**_

He couldn't hold it in now. His seijin powers haloed him, wreathing him in a aurora of blue sparks as the tear which had been gathering in his eye dropped down his cheek, stinging as it evaporated in the energy he was exuding in waves. Diwan ran; he saw her leaving from the corner of his vision. The white marble beneath him was cracking and blackening as he sank to a crouch, curling his hands around his knees so that he formed a tight ball of pain. It wasn't his fault, so why did he feel like this? He'd never regretted a single action of his. Not even when it killed hundreds of people. He wanted out. Her name ran through every neuron in his mind, screaming through the electrical impulses until he couldn't hold it any more and screamed her name, verbally and mentally, his power flashing out of him in a bright light that peeled away the walls so he could see the very sky that had been the last thing she had seen.

* * *

><p><strong>November 8th 2252 (10pm) Puerto Angel<strong>

Sasha couldn't remember ever being more glad to see a plain white bedspread than right now. Her eyes focused slowly on her hands, which lay on top of her stomach.

"You are a disaster magnet." sighed a voice to her side and Dom's face leaned into view. He looked exhausted, an emotion she shared wholeheartedly.

"Try mah...my best." she spluttered, surprised by how raw her throat felt.

"We didn't get her. Best we can figure out she stole a mosquito and headed off god knows where. The captains out searching with the Nazaire, but I doubt we'll find her. The Sphere trains their lackeys well. Oh, sorry. I err- I forgot."

"I worked for the Sphere Dom, I was never an active part of them. I moved up to the top because I got results, not because I was particularly zealous." She cleared her throat "Where's Dahlia? The girl she was after?"

"Oh, she's with Maria under lock and key. George absolutely did his nut, instructed Mahad to remain with her and 'protect her or else' then left with Cortes."

"Poor guy. I take him away from one situation and straight away his daughter's life is threatened. Do we know what Diwan wanted?"

"Actually yes. The baby. Shannon revealed that she'd already had Charl-Diwan try to convince her to abort Dahlia's baby. She'd taken it as a sick joke. She's in the dog house now, even though I told them I actually overheard her confront Diwan about it. Diwan claimed that she'd been with me on the night the incident happened."

"Was she?" Dom hung his head and Sasha took that as his answer.

"Why didn't you tell someone?"

"Shame. Fear. Regret? I thought that when her memory was wiped she'd get a second chance and she did. She was a wonderful person, Sasha. You would have liked Charlotte. But if I'd told them my doubts about her allegiances, the pirates would have taken away her freedom. I guess I was just hoping I was wrong, that she was still that sweet girl who didn't have a care in the world."

He stood, dusting his hands on his trousers and left. Sasha let him go, knowing him well enough to know that he didn't want to talk anymore. He wasn't a naturally verbose person anyway; him talking so honestly about how he felt was rare and insightful. It took him courage to break from his shell and she appreciated that. Also, the time alone might just give her a chance to marshal her scattered thoughts.

_Diwan has escaped; we can assume her first port of call will be the Sphere. She'll reveal my involvement; that's not too bad in itself, since I only ever intended to return to the flagship so that I could stealthily get my people out of there and then blow the place up from the inside. However, she's bound to reveal the location of this block. The pirates' haven is compromised. Our options suddenly got very small. I'd estimated having an extra few months for extra planning, but it looks like U-Day is going to come early. It's either that or all leave this block and run like cowards. I refuse to uproot Maria from this home she's found. So, the war begins two months early. I'll travel to the flagship in the morning, enter by stealth and let Kiya know._

A gust of wind blew through the window, bringing the smell of frost and pine trees. **Sasha! **She sat up straight, crying out at the pain which returned when she moved. There was shouting outside in the waiting room and Dom came back in, clutching his head.

"Did you hear that too?" She nodded, tears in her eyes.

"It's just us, Me you and Jeyna, Mila..."

"Seijins?"

"I think so. But who sent the message?"

"You don't recognise the voice?"

"They're all the same, aren't they?"

"Yes..of course. Sorry, I'm confused." She lied, laying down and hoping he'd leave.

When he did, she threw off the covers and slid off the bed to her feet. Pressing her hand to her wound to keep it steady, she limped to the medicine cabinet. It was locked, but she summoned the energy to reach inside and get some more painkillers, necking a few of the little white pills. She hadn't been joking with Oslo when she said that his mind had a flavour; there was a certain texture to everyone's thoughts, if you looked hard enough and saw into their thoughts often enough, you'd never forget it. His reminded her of an Arctic forest, evergreen trees coated in a layer of ice and snow. It was his voice that had ripped through the minds of all the seijins, calling to her with so much anguish it melted the barriers she'd constructed around her heart in the months since she'd seen him. There was no thought of the consequences, no thought of the contempt with which he'd treated her affections. As it had been before with Maria, there was no choice available to her but to go to him and protect him from what had afflicted him. He had called: She would go.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to stop there, because this chapter is getting rather long. Let me know what you think, There was going to be more action but the chapter was getting too unwieldy and enormous so I decided to split it. I will update hopefully sooner than this update took, sorry guys :( work sucks.<strong>

**Next Chapter: The war begins, Sides are taken and weapons are drawn. Oslo and Sasha meet again and Dahlia's child is born. But will it go smoothly?**


	18. Rooftops

**A/N Long time no see! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've been working on it quite a while now so hopefully it'll be a success :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skyland.**

**Rating: M for sexual scenes, moderate violence, language, adult themes and Mild ickyness (during the birth scene)**

**Rooftops**

_**Standing on the rooftops,**_

_**Wait until the bombs drop**_

_**This is all we got now**_

_**Scream until your heart stops**_

_**Never gonna regret**_

_**Watching every sunset**_

_**We'll listen to your heartbeat**_

_**All the love that we found-**_

_**Scream your heart out!**_

**( Rooftops – Lost Prophets)**

* * *

><p>The prisoner's eyes opened and gazed out of the small window of their cell at the troubled, iron sky. There was a storm on the edge of the horizon, low clouds approaching from the distance. The single table in the room had a neat stack of paper placed upon it and three blunt pencils. They rose wearily, sitting in the one seat that had been left to them and picked up the first pencil. Slowly, they began to write.<p>

_Reader,_

_I do not know what prompted me to do this. Perhaps it is the realisation that the clock on the wall reads 6am. Maybe it is the crushing knowledge that in four hours I will be served my last meal and six hours before they kill me. I shall have a trial. A mockery, a sham trial designed to humiliate and discredit me, as with all of their courts of Law. This I understand, although nothing could move me to accept it. I have lived my life as well as I could and I will endeavour to keep that grace in my death.  
>They have left me paper to occupy my thoughts. None of them dares talk to me. I'm delusional and volatile, or so they have been told. No doubt, reader, you are "they". Who else would be reading this? Do you think me mad, gentle reader? Does this sound like the ravings of a depraved mind? I digress from my subject.<em>

_The story of my life was vibrant, reader. I laughed and I lamented. I danced and I dreamed. My Life has been a collection of fleeting moments flowing in a current headed to this room, to this stormy day in December. I do not have the time to tell you about those memories; even if I did, you would find my life to be so incredibly ordinary. Yet to me, I would not swap those memories even for my own survival. I must strip my story down to it's bare bones; 15 minutes of my wealth has been spent already._

_This, reader, is not the story of my life. It is the story of how I died._

* * *

><p><strong>November 8th 2252<strong>

Sasha ignored the warnings the cargo ship blared at her and swerved the tiny hoverbike she'd stolen out in front, throwing the engine into full speed. She regretted stealing what was no doubt the pride and joy of a teenage boy, but it had been the first thing she had found. The night was in full bloom, the moon watching her passage across the sky. She was drained of energy after her experiences earlier and though she could have tried flying to the Flagship using her ghostly abilities, the last thing she wanted was to run out of energy mid flight and plummet to her death.

So she'd settled for flying to the nearest town and borrowing transport from the back garden of one of the sleepy little houses there. The wind was raking mercilessly at her eyes like claws, tearing moisture from them. Fear alone kept her going at such a speed. She had tried to send a message to Kiya and it had not been delivered. She had tried to contact the ship using her officer code at a phone booth in the town. The number hadn't even dialled; the operator had informed her in a harassed voice that the Flagship was not responding, nor had it sent out any distress calls. She had then, in a moment of brilliance rung the Sphere academy. The replies to her questions had been grudging and guarded, but when they learnt of her senior rank they were forced to comply. All of the seijin children, as well as their teachers had heard the call. Nobody but here knew who it had been from.

Currently, the flagship's whereabouts were unknown, but Sasha had received a tip from one of her own seijin agents that worked in recon and intelligence. There were cases of Seijins not only hearing the call but collapsing or becoming violently sick, spreading into a pattern that was becoming obvious. They were all within a ten mile circle around one central point – Oslo. It had to be. She'd called in to the land HQ of the Sphere and assumed de facto command, after all, in the absence of contact with the commander she was the most senior ranking official. They had received her orders to evacuate the area of all seijins with relief and promptly sent in teams of non seijins to remove the affected from the danger zone. It had been bizarre to see the footsoldiers, the expendable "normal" people being the ones to save their once invincible, now fragile superiors. She thanked the stars that this had not happened at day; such mental trauma might have activated the powers of the nearby seijins in a sympathetic, emotional response and started a worldwide chain reaction.

She was nearing the edge of the danger zone now, determined to end this insanity. Her communicator beeped and she accepted the incoming call without looking at the ID.

"Sasha speaking."

"Oh my god! Sasha!"

"Kiya? What's going on there?"

"I don't know! Oslo, he's gone insane, or something. He's collapsed in the entrance hall of the house, blowing off energy like you wouldn't believe. Nobody can get near him without getting their skin and bones vaporised right off of them. He's just curled up against one wall moaning."

"How are the Seijins there?"

"Not good, they're unconscious. Sasha...my brain felt bad. It was like I'd never be happy ever again. I wanted to kill myself. It's not so bad now we're getting further away from him."

"Where are you? Other people felt it too, not just seijins?"

"Yeah, none of us normals are unconscious, but we all feel...odd. Like something is pressing down on our minds. It's getting better the further away from the ship we get. We've just left with as many people as we can carry. We've got all of ours and some of theirs. The Ship's just drifting, most of the navigators were seijin and either unconscious or dead. The rest of them were the first to flee. Sasha, you're not coming here are you?"

"I've got to. Don't ask me why."

"I know why. But if you die...Just don't die, okay? You've only got fifteen, twenty minutes tops. The Ship's headed for a block, some of the guys tried to reroute it but none of us has a fucking clue how to fly that thing." Kiya laughed nervously in a whoosh of static. "So you'll have to be in and out in minutes."

Sasha cut off the call, throwing herself flat and trying desperately to ease more speed out of the bike. The danger zone hit her like a wave of feeling and she had to force down the bile rising in her throat. _Mercy. Oh, Oslo what's wrong? How bad do you feel, that even miles away I can feel your pain like my own?_

Shuddering in the saddle, Sasha readied herself. The feelings were only going to get worse. Steadily, she felt the proximity of the ship through feeling the increased discomfort of being near him. Her hands were shaking as they gripped the handlebars, flaring in and out of existence as her powers fluctuated with her emotions. The boundaries around her mind tore themselves down, searching ahead to reach out to Oslo.

The Flagship's bulk came into visibility just as she was violently sick, gagging at the new onslaught of sickness. Her body screamed to be allowed to sleep as her mind firmly to it to stay awake. She passed a fleet of patrollers heading in the opposite direction and thought she caught the presence of Kiya emanating from one of them. Her probing mind didn't have time to confirm it; it touched the edge of Oslo's mind and Sasha was instantly thrown into agony, screaming and doubling over, fingernails biting into the metal of the bike. Touching his mind had been like licking a red hot iron bar. It scalded her indiscriminately, oblivious to her pain. He hadn't even realised her presence, so great was his apathy. She could not contact him mentally, not when he refused to acknowledge any outside contact.

The bike crashed into the lawn and she was upended violently, literally eating the dirt of the grass. There were people fighting over what remaining ships there were, leaving those unconscious to their fate. It occurred to her that she couldn't have disabled the Sphere more efficiently even with all her months of planning. Oslo had yet again upstaged her. A pair of boots trampled over her back and she cried out, twisting her head in time to see a man pull her bike up and get onto it. She yanked herself to her feet and out of the way as a small mob ran over and harassed him off of it, desperate to secure their own flight to freedom. She paid them no heed.

Her feet remembered the way, even as her mind shut itself off from the surroundings. The gardens were silent as she sprinted through the rose-hung arch to the clearing she'd had her job interview with Oslo in, the pristine white roses now withered and gone, bare branches in their place. The plants had died in the bitter winter air and the beauty of the place was gone. The front door of the house rose up before her and her hand grasped onto the handle for support. It fizzled and bit at her skin, hot to the touch. The shouts of those still trapped on the ship were loud and panicked but she forced herself to listen at the door, one ear pressed to the wood. No sound, but the wood was hot and blackened. Opening it didn't seem like a good idea, so she pressed her mouth to the door.

"Oslo!" She cried, drowned by the sound of those nearby "OSLO! Open the Door! Can you hear me?" There was no reply except for the sound of the airbike she'd flown on whizzing overhead, a hitch-hiker clinging onto the back for dear life as the driver attempted to push him off. The bike sank lower and lower, clipping the top of the building and brushing off the hanger-on. Sasha dove out of the way of the falling man, cringing when he smashed into the ground nearby. Making her way back to the door, she passed the marbled glass window. Pressing her nose against the glass, she could just about make out a white figure in the middle of the hall beyond. She tapped on the glass desperately, hoping he'd look up. She couldn't see clearly enough, but it looked like he made no movement at all. _This is stupid, I have only five minutes and he won't even notice me. I'm going to have to try something different. If I go in I may very well be vaporised, If I try and contact him mentally I'll be in pain. So I have the option of pain or pain. Wonderful._

She sat down, one palm on the wood of the door and peeled back the veil around her mind, flinching under the full force of the mental anguish Oslo was transmitting. She wrapped around it, pulling it towards her with a light tug. She felt his thoughts resist, batting her away in irritation. She pursued him further, struggling against a sea of mental communication and the desire to turn back. It was hard to press forwards but impossible for her to turn back. That way lay defeat. Finally, she felt the contact of his mind again, delving through the layers of pain that surrounded his thoughts. Whether he sensed her presence or not she was unsure.

_Oslo..Oslo! Listen to me!_

_Go away Sasha, you're dead._

_How am I talking to you then?_

_I'm imagining it._

_Wha? Urgh. For gods sake Oslo why would I be dead? Go to the window. Open the door. Please, I can't stay in your mind it-it HURTS_

Sasha's mind ripped back into her body with a scream, unable to bear the feel of his thoughts any longer. She finished the scream with a sob, getting to her feet and hitting the window again, harder this time.

"Look up you stupid. Idiot. Bastard." She snarled, punctuating each word with a slam onto the window. Through the artistically swirled glass, she saw the figure twitch and look up. She pressed her face to the glass, hoping he'd recognise her even through the distorted surface.

She exhaled in tiredness and it fogged the glass, prompting an idea in her head. She breathed over the glass so that it misted over with condensation pausing with her finger in the air. What to write? She had three minutes. All or nothing.

_I love you. _The figure stood and walked nearer to read it, bending close. She could almost make out his features now. Then, almost dreamily, he turned to walk away.

"NO!" She shoved her hand through the wall, grabbing his shirt even as she felt energy wrap around her hand like a serpent, flicking tongues of sparks over her skin that burned. She felt him go limp and the sparks abated, replaced by a hand that touched hers lightly. Feeling it was safe to be near him now, Sasha walked through the rest of the wall so that they were face to face.

He'd been crying. His eyes were a dark scarlet around the edges, blending into dark navy circles under his eyes. He looked like a complete mess, wearing a stained and crumpled uniform. He had a shadow of stubble where he hadn't shaved and his hair had grown out. It was blonde, flecked with grey at the temples. He closed his eyes and whimpered when she ran a hand through the short strands.

"You're a vision. I'm imagining this." He insisted in a low voice. She reached up and pressed her lips to his, smiling when his eyes flew back open.

"No, you're not."

"I'm really not?"

"Really really."

He pulled her against his chest abruptly, both of the swaying together. She allowed him a few seconds to adjust, then pulled away "I hate to ruin the mood, but we're about to crash into a block and die unless we do something."

He nodded "We'll take a ship-"

"They're all gone, we've still got people stranded on here though."

"Then we'd better try and stop the ship." He turned and left without another word and Sasha sighed. _I should have known our reunion would never be a romantic affair. Some couples get scented __candles, wine and a nice dinner. I get pain, panic and life or death situations. He didn't mention what I wrote..._

She followed after him, glancing at her watch. 2 minutes. The corridors were empty; everyone still on the ship was up on the deck trying to find a way to escape. Oslo was already on the bridge when she arrived, glancing around at the controls. Several of the pilots were still collapsed on the floor.

"Try and wake them, I'll see if I can slow us down." He yelled, pushing a dead body out of the command seat and grabbing the wheel of the ship.

She slapped the nearest person in the face, but they didn't stir. "No good, just you and me."

"Ever steered something this big?"

"I'm sure you'll teach me."

"Get in that seat over there and pull that lever to the left when I say now." He unhooked a radio from where it was attached to the wall and flicked the button "This is the commander speaking, we are currently trying to redirect the ship to minimise the impact. Get inside if possible, but hold onto something this is going to be bumpy."

He threw the radio link aside and returned the wheel, flicking a switch off. The engines dulled. "Now Sasha!" She pulled with all her might, but the lever refuses to move.

"Not moving!"

Oslo vaulted over the barrier separating the upper command seat from navigation and wrapped his fingers around hers. Together they pulled until finally the lever slotted across and into place. The ship rumbled as they held tight to the lever to keep it in place.

"I've put the ship into full stop, but at the momentum we were going at, it takes a few minutes to stop."

"So we're still crashing?"

"Yes. This lever is going to pull the ship as far to the right as possible, hopefully we'll only hit on one side and it'll be a lot slower than it would have otherwise been-"

"But we're going to hit?

"Yes," He murmured quietly, his thumb stroking her hand. "I'm so sorry Sasha."

"How did this happen? What upset you so badly?"

"Somebody told me you were dead. It seems I was misinformed."

"Why did you care?" Sasha stated bluntly. "You sent me away."

"Because you said you were in love with someone. I never dreamt, not in my wildest fantasies, that that person could be someone like me."

Sasha looked over her shoulder at him, trying to assess if he was serious or not. "Why?" The lever jolted and she turned her head back around, renewing her efforts to help him hold it in place. Oslo stepped closer so that his chest hit her back and his breath trembled against her ear.

"Because I'm old, egotistical and bitter, whilst you're young, beautiful, intelligent...Do you really want me to list the reasons?"

"No." She stated softly, smiling. A screen flashed on, displaying a proximity alert with a ten second countdown to impact. "Can you hold the lever by yourself for a few seconds?" She felt him nod and relinquished her hold as he tightened his, turning her body within his arms to face him. He wore a look of fixed exertion as he struggled to hold the lever still whilst she wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the soft skin there. He groaned, leaning his head down to rest against hers so that their eyes gazed into each other, a bare inch apart.

The kiss was nothing like the one they'd shared earlier. This was filled with the insane despair of the dying and the passion of those reunited after what felt like a lifetime apart. On Sasha's part, she was trying to convey in this one last kiss just how much she loved this man, who couldn't see his true worth and claimed he was egotistical, yet was humble enough to think that he didn't deserve her. For Oslo, it was peace. He couldn't remember such elation, even when he rose to commander, even when he considered his future plans. When the computer voice cheerfully read 3 seconds to go, he let go off the lever. Three seconds less would make no difference at this point. He roamed his hands over Sasha until the settled at her waist and the small of her back. A thought occurred to him and he stopped, despite Sasha's protests.

"Did I mention? I love you t-"

There was a grating, screeching crash and the floor tipped violently to the side. They fell as one, sliding towards the other side of the ship until Oslo arrested their movement by grabbing the railing with one hand and Sasha's wrist with the other. The infernal screeching continued before there was another shuddering jolt. Oslo tightened his grip and pulled Sasha up onto his chest so she could reach the railing too. The floor of the ship was diagonal, leaning downwards on the right side. Together they climbed up the floor that was now mainly wall, heading for two different computer consoles. Sasha took the helm, Oslo the navigation.

"Okay, damage is limited to the left, bottom side of the ship. We're wedged into the side of the block by the look of it."

"So, what's this I hear about you being a revolutionary?"

"Oslo, did you hear a think I just said?"

"Yes my love, I'm running further tests to see if we can get ourselves unstuck. Answer the question."

"Yes, but do we really have to do this now? We can't just try and fly off, the hull is pierced we'd lose air pressure as soon as we fly off and the hole is uncovered."

"We could fall out of the sky any second, when else do you want to do this? There's bulkheads, we could get everyone out of those areas, seal the bulkheads and still keep pressure."

"Okay, that's a plan. Call it in on the tannoy. I was continuing what we began."

"I don't recall starting to undermine myself." He hit the radio button on the wall above him "Well, no serious damage, everyone get inside and evacuate blocks L14 through to Q23, we are closing the bulkheads in thirty seconds and if you aren't out of those areas you'll be flung out of the ship by loss of air pressure and the momentum of us taking off. Thankyou!"

He hung up the radio link and began the procedure to close the bulkheads, both too busy to carry on their conversation. Sasha watched the screen which showed heat signals from over the ship, zooming in on the affected quadrant.

"You can close it now, there's no one in there. It's too far down, everyone was up top when you warned them to get inside, they're all on the top three layers." Oslo grunted in reply, having figured as much anyway.

"Just checking. There might have been some seijins that had been unconscious and just woke up."

"No, that's the computer department and the maintenance crew's quarters. The maintenance guys wouldn't have been affected so they'd already be trying to escape."

"The computer technicians have been useless lately anyway, wouldn't matter if they died. Everything went wrong when you left Sasha. I-" Oslo frowned and Sasha blushed.

"Yeah...I'm guessing the penny just dropped?"

"All of that was you? The computer systems failing-"

"The cryptography department getting no results, liberty radio, the raids on sphere facilities, the civil unrest all over the place where the culprits never got found...yeah." Sasha finished lamely, shrugging. "I was angry."

"You don't say." He grunted, his face murderous. "Why were you trying to ruin me?"

"I wasn't, I was ruining the company."

"Then why ruin the Sphere? The Sphere could have been useful-"

"The Sphere is corrupt. Oh, it was efficient and gives out the best combat training around, but it's foundations are rotten. I needed something new to build on, I needed decent, upstanding people to form a solid cored that reached out through the organisation. I needed structure, morals...the Sphere but better, essentially."

"So you've been poaching my best officers, ruining all my work-"

"Rebuilding all your work. Oslo, you believe the company are wrong, don't you?"

"They are fools, they should not be in charge. What do you want from me Sasha? I cannot change my ideals at the flick of a switch. The Sphere brought order-"

"It brought oppression! Jesus Oslo, can't you see?"

He didn't reply, tweaking several switches until the ship juddered menacingly. "You want me to give it up. Just give up everything I know, everything I believe. But what would you do if I asked you to do the same, Sasha?"

It was her turn to be silent. _I'd say no, of course. Love does have it's costs, and that is one fare I refuse to pay. _She sighed. _We're stubborn as hell, both of us. _The ship shook suddenly before the floor levelled out and the engines sighed in relief. She watched Oslo standing at the wheel, frowning off into the distance as he turned it idly, caressing the controls. A coughing from near the floor interrupted her thoughts and she looked down to see one of the helmsmen stirring into consciousness. Kneeling, she prepared herself for the questions to come.

* * *

><p>Oslo watched her tending to the sick, getting them sat up and bringing them water, answering the numerous questions they shot at her. He'd forgotten how much he loved the elegant slope of her back, the shining golden-brown hair that rippled over her shoulders, hiding the pale column of her neck. It seemed too good to be true and part of him wondered if he was still curled up weeping in the hall and this was all a pleasant dream. <em>Focus. Need to plan what to do next. Her safety is compromised. Diwan knows everything. Options...One, Follow Sasha into the sunset of love and depravity. Not going to happen. Two, cut Sasha loose and never see her again except on the battlefield. Won't allow that to happen. Three...Silence Diwan? Discredit her perhaps, say she attacked me, caused all this? Would allow Sasha to stay innocent in the eyes of board of governors, <em>_so I could still see her. However, her keeping her position will put her in a position to do more __damage to the Sphere. _He growled, tightening his hands on the wheel. Option one was incredibly tempting, but there was no way he would be accepted amongst pirates. Option two would lead almost certainly to the failure of Sasha's plan, which would mean her death. Option three would lead to the downfall of the Sphere and his death, but her freedom and a little more time with her. Every single path he could take was a hard one. He was well aware of the powerless feeling that resided in his gut and how much he loathed to be unable to control the situation. _This may be your only chance at love. _He snarled lightly, spinning the wheel and bringing the ship to a halt so that it merely hovered in the air.

"All staff help the injured to their quarters, then all return to your rooms. All units off duty until further notice." He hung up the radio and turned to the room at large "All of you get back to work, make sure we're in good shape. Contact those ships who fled, Sergeant Keane, and tell them to get their traitorous asses back here immediately. Lieutenant Commander, fall in."

He paced out of the room, Sasha on his heels, heading up towards the upper levels. He needed to plan, to reorganise. The corridors were filled with the chaos of people being carried back to their rooms or groups milling around at intersections, whispered conversations cutting short when Oslo approached. Finally they arrived back in the main hall of the house, it's floor bearing a set of blackened rings widening outwards from the spot where he'd been curled. From here he led Sasha into a small conference room dominated by an enormous round table covered in old paper maps over dull, empty computer screens.

"Well, we need to-" He began before Sasha's lips fell onto his with desperate fervour.

"Later." Was all she said before pushing him backwards so that the backs of his legs hit the table and he stumbled, falling onto the table with a crinkling noise and the distinct sound of ripping paper.

"Sasha we-"

"No." She cut him off, putting a hand over his mouth and straddling him defiantly. "Later."

Her fingers were snaking under the belt of his uniform and casting it aside before working on the small ties at the collar and sides of his shirt. Finally, after what seemed to her like too long, She had him shirtless. Dumping the shirt off to the side without a second glance, her fingers scraped over his chest with infinite care and attention. There were some old scars, milky and opalescent against the pallor of his skin and she couldn't help but remember that one terrible scar on his back. He sighed happily under her attention and she felt his chest rise and fall under her palm as his heart juddered along, hard enough that she could see it pulsing just under his skin even in the dim lighting. Looking up to his face rewarded her with the sight of his face caught in an expression of rapture, his eyes closed and his mouth open and curled into a smile. The urge to reclaim his mouth came over her and she followed it, their tongues dancing for dominance. Unexpectedly he broke away, hands on her hips with his fingers questing just under her waistline.

"Sasha we should-

"Don't. Please don't say we should stop and work everything out. I don't want to think about-"

"I was only going to suggest you lock the door so Sergeant Keane doesn't get a surprise if he comes back."

Grinning, Sasha obliged him by slinking away and locking the door to the room. As she turned she walked unexpectedly into the solid chest of Oslo with a squeak of surprise. Her legs were grasped and wrapped around his hips before she could protest so that she was brought level with his smiling face.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun" He murmured, leaning his forehead against hers as he brought her back over to the table.

"More like couldn't let me take the lead. Always the commander, aren't you?" She retorted in his ear, nipping the lobe teasingly and enjoying the audible intake of breath from him. He sat her on the table, a tiny bit of space opening between them which she soon closed by pulling him flush against her by his waistband. Their bodies met with a gasp from both sides and with one last burning look into her eyes, Oslo threw caution to the wind.

His fingers found her top, ripping it up and off of her before assaulting her neck and body with frantic open mouthed kisses that made her twist against him, her hips unexpectedly grinding against his. The sensation of cloth against cloth reminded him that she was wearing way too many clothes and he quickly remedied that, fumbling momentarily with her tight jeans until she kicked them off violently and pulled him back down to her. His mouth was hot and everywhere on her as she desperately tried to undo her bra at the back but couldn't concentrate when his hands were travelling underneath and fondling her breasts-

With a sudden, gleefully savage rip he tore the offending item of clothing from her and flung it into the corner. Now that she was finally almost bare beneath him he paused, slightly uncertain now that he was faced with her bare beauty before him. What on earth had he done to deserve her? He opened his mouth to speak but let out only a half strangled cry when Sasha dove her hand down the front of his trousers and wrapped it around the thickening length there. Forgetting his thoughts, he pushed her down to the desk, standing back to push his uniform's trousers down when a knock on the door startled him so that he turned towards it.

"Commander? I have the reports from the communications centre" A voice from outside the door made both of them pause.

_Sergeant Keane, I hate you. _Oslo thought, conscious of Sasha's hands sneaking around his waist and finishing undoing the button. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at her, a look which she returned twofold as she eased the material down over his thighs, making sure to brush her hands over his erection as she went. He groaned deeply, turning to face her rapidly.

"Commander? Are you okay? I heard a groan?"

"I stubbed my toe on a chair leg." He lied, giving Sasha a warning glare which she giggled at before returning her focus to her hands as they started idly stroking him. "Please leave the reports on my desk upstairs and I'll call for you lat-ahh" His eyes slammed shut and he sucked in a deep breath as Sasha's tongue darted out and licked him once, coyly whilst she smirked up at him from where she was kneeling on the floor. He directed his thoughts at her half-heartedly.

_Stop it, he can hear._

_Stop what? This? _Her mouth wrapped around the very tip of his member and he slumped slightly, grabbing the table for support as she continued to move her mouth slowly, all the while watching him with mischievous eyes.

"Are you sure you're all right sir?"

"Never been better. I need to finish this tactical assessment, so if you'll excuse me." He half groaned, keeping his voice as level as possible. Thankfully, the man seemed to believe him this time. Turning back to her again, he half scowled and half smiled. She grinned, removing her mouth and running her hands up his sides before pulling herself up so that she was standing again using him as a handle.

"Little Minx." He muttered in her ear, to which she laughed silently, the tickling sensation on his cheek the only indication that it was happening.

"Tactical assessment hmm? Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" She joked, earning a chuckle from him.

"Well, I have to assess which way I'd like to pleasure this body of yours to oblivion, so yes." Oslo told her, sending shivers of desire down her spine.

"Less talk more touch Commander." She stated mock seriously, bringing him down towards her again.

It moved fast after that. A few exploratory touches from him, encouraging whimpers from her and they were finally together in every sense of the word, him hovering over her with one hand entwined with hers above her head as his other hand maintained his balance. Sasha panted, her senses heightened to everything around her; the buzz of people passing by in the hallway outside, the rustle of paper beneath her back as she writhed on the table top, his breath ragged against her neck, The overwhelming avalanche of sensation she felt approaching as their skin slithered over each other in an endless dance of parting and meeting was gaining on her and she caught his eyes in lustful desperation.

"Oslo-" Her body contorted as the orgasm washed over her with the force of a tidal wave, her eyes squeezing shut as she relaxed her body entirely. Oslo watched her, greedily drinking in the moment and the way her skin had lit up beneath him, ghostly light twisting beneath the skin and lighting the room a moment so he could see her face in all it's splendour as she came. A few seconds later she felt rather than heard him follow her over the edge, moaning against her skin to stifle the noise.

They lay there a while, sweaty and satisfied with him still laying on top. Her nails ran through the short growth of hair on his head, smiling aimlessly to herself in the blissful high that she never wanted to come down from. Eventually he moved, twisting his head to plant a kiss firmly between her breasts before looking up at her. When he moved to roll off, afraid that he was hurting her she shook her head and caught his arm.

"Stay. Just. Wait a minute." He sank back down, more than happy to indulge her. Her skin smelt of coconut, the tumbling strands of her hair like honey and looking like silken gold ribbons. But none of it could last forever. All too soon he felt the moment slipping away and the doubts and dismay falling into it's place.

"What do we do?" He spoke lowly and she tightened her hold on him.

"I can't stay." He nodded his head mutely. He'd already known as much. "Diwan will tell everyone about the pirates. Lead a hunt against them. I have to put my plans into motion right now. Declare myself your enemy. Won't you-"

"No. The answer is still no Sasha. I have worked so hard, you don't understand. The company are wrong, yes. But there needs to be order. You can't just run amok in the streets declaring revolution. There has to be law and order."

"And there will be when the Sphere is broken up and justice reinstated. Oslo, this isn't a random mob rising up, this isn't a pirate rebellion. This is an organised group of people who don't want war, they want a society."

"No advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer." Oslo murmured, quoting something he'd read once. Sasha glanced down in bemusement.

"Well aren't we optimistic today?" she snorted sarcastically. "Never figured you for an Orwell fan. Always thought he was much too sceptical, personally."

"I try to be realistic about things." He sighed, rolling off her so that he lay by her side, gazing at her. "I suppose that's where we differ."

"I suppose. Is it really that bad to have a dream?"

"Only when it's a foolish dream." His fingers traced circles on the skin of her upper arm and she shivered before rolling onto her side to look directly at him.

"Oslo please come with me. I'm not asking you to give anything up. The Sphere is done; surely you can see that? You would be my partner in everything, heading the revolution with me. Please reconsider. You _know _this place is crippled. I couldn't stand it if-"

"I swore an oath of loyalty. I refuse to desert my post."

"But what if you could do greater good elsewhere with me? You say you want to get rid of the company because they're fools and corrupt, but how will you do that in the Sphere, which is their own tool? I need you Oslo, you have tactical experience and know what it takes to run an enormous campaign, the organisation, the-"

"No, Sasha. You've done well enough without me. I can't say I'm not tempted. But what about those in the Sphere who you didn't manage to recruit that would rather be upon your side? Don't you owe it to them- what am I saying?" He scowled "I'm not in league with you"

"Why not? You want to be, you've said it yourself."

"I would not be accepted. I think the pirates would rather commit group suicide than accept me as a leader."

"Then remain here until U-day, get a few more recruits for us. I mention you as my new deputy but we keep your identity secret, only mention you by codename to them. Get them to like you and respect you before they find out your identity on U-day."

"That seems...plausible." He admitted "But we'd first have to discredit Diwan and get her locked up."

"You'll think of something." He smiled smugly. Of course he would.

"So do I get to choose my codename?"

"Actually, you already have a private one. Orion."

His eyebrows raised "The constellation? The hunter?"

"Yeah. Only me and sunshine use it when we're doing unofficial talk or stuff we don't want anyone else to know. She'll need to be in on this if we want it to work. I have a personal codename as well, only three people including myself and her know it. It's Artemis."

"Who's the third?"

"You." She grinned, pressing her lips to his brow. The moonlight drifted through the high windows as they lay in silence as Oslo considered her idea. It was a good one. It allowed him to keep his dream. It allowed him to keep her. But his mind balked at the thought of being in her debt, at being included only as her underling. Everything in his life had been a step towards the top. Now, to take a step down?

"What would my rank be exactly?" She giggled and shot him a look of amused understanding

"Worried you'll be inferior to me? Don't be. I wouldn't have you as anything but my equal."

He shrugged, feigning reluctance he didn't particularly feel "I guess I could give it a try."

With a happy squeaking noise that was totally unlike her, Sasha threw herself on top of him hugging him hard around the middle. He returned it briefly before sitting up and pulling her into his lap.

"We need to start planning then. I'll need to know sunshine's identity. You need to leave, too. I'll take care of Diwan." She rolled her eyes, hopping off of him and tossing him his shirt.

"Oh you romantic. A quick fuck and back to business is it?" Only the slight trace of humour in her voice indicated that she wasn't serious. He slapped her bare ass playfully, grinning as he dressed while she shot him evils from narrowed eyes.

"Oslo? Did you- Did you sleep with Diwan?" Her voice trembled and he frowned.

"No, why the hell would I- Ah. Is that what she told you? She mentioned distracting you by 'distorting the nature of our relationship'"

"She pretty much said that you two were lovers for years."

He snorted, finishing tying his belt on. "She wishes. She propositioned me many times over the years we worked together and I always refused." His face twisted in disgust.

"So if you weren't sleeping with her...must be a long time since you've...have you ever? Never mind" She finished hastily, mortified at what she'd almost asked and he hadn't denied. Somehow, she got the feeling Oslo had led an almost celibate life so far.

"Yes. Nothing meaningful until now." He surprised her by answering her unasked question.

She flushed, secretly pleased that he considered her to be worthy of his attentions and that Diwan had lied. It would have always been at the back of her mind taunting her if she hadn't known for sure. _Should have realised he'd never sleep with that Sphere groupie whore. He's got more integrity than that. _She startled briefly when his hands held something out to her. With a wry smile, she accepted the tattered remains of her bra and stuffed it into her back pocket before pulling her top on. _Can't wear that now. Shame. It was one of my nicer ones._

"Do you know something else about today? The reason I went back home, the reason this is so incredible?" Sasha blurted out, unable to contain the secret.

"I don't know, what?"

"It's my birthday. I'm 28 today" She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to know."

They quickly checked each other's appearances before unlocking the door and standing before it in the hall. A few people looked their way before carrying on with what they were doing.

"If you would follow those orders then Lieutenant, I will see you in January." He stood stiffly to attention.

"I shall be in regular contact to swap updates sir." She replied dutifully, ripping off a perfect salute, then turned her body slightly to the left so only he could see her facial expression. As he returned her salute with a lazy one of his own, she quickly mouthed 'I love you' and winked, before setting her face in a neutral expression and marching from the room.

He and many others watched her go for a few seconds before turning back to the tasks at hand. He headed towards the sick bay, certain that if she was still alive Diwan would have been taken there. She had been the closest seijin to him when he had his meltdown after all. He hoped she was still unconscious. That would make everything so much easier...

* * *

><p><strong>December 18th 2252<strong>

The prisoner stood as her cell door swung open, admitting commander Oslo into the room. The letter to nobody fell through her hands onto the table silently. For a moment he stared at her before turning to leave.

"You look different, you know." She called after him, hoping he would stay a few minutes. "Is it because of her?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." There was no inflection in his tone, nothing given away. So like him. He looked better than since she'd last seen him, on that day where she'd told him about Sasha. He looked less gaunt and withdrawn than usual, the circles under his eyes were dark blue instead of deep purple and his hair was fully grown out into a normal length. It all sickened her slightly. He looked so...banal. So frustratingly ordinary. She had always revelled in the oddness of his appearance, the way he did not care for any human niceties like grooming. The way he'd work himself to the bone just to get one step closer to perfection.

"Yes, I believe you do commander." He looked her in the eyes then and with a sudden burst of sunshine filtering through the cloudy sky beyond the window she saw it. The reason she was here.

"TRAITOR!" She howled, feeling him fling her from his mind. He cursed and left, slamming the door shut. Racing to the door she hammered her hand against the door. "Guard, arrest him! Don't let him through! Traitor! Oath-breaker! Scum!" The skin of her knuckles broke as she punched the door in rage. Even he had succumbed to the rot of that woman. Stupid! Foolish! She had raced back to him to inform him of his own malevolent plans, had told him of his own henchman's death! Idiot! The swine! Never trust!

"She's had another psychotic episode, increase her dose."

"Again?" Sighed a voice which she knew to belong to a white coat man who came in every day. She paced back and forth like a caged animal. Before she had thought, had moronically believed, that her captivity was for a reason. That perhaps the allegations of her attacking the commander had been true; after all, she had felt the stirrings of Charlotte just before the incident occurred and her memory was fragmented after that.

Her trial awaited; five hours until the moment they would decide whether she lived or died. The realisation that had struck her an hour ago returned and itched along her senses, encouraged the boiling anger within her. They had been drugging her of course, once every morning with her breakfast. Her powers were shifting in and out of her grasp, the sunlight refused to aid her. She would try. She would try not to die.

Ten minutes, or was it half an hour later a man entered and set a tray of food down before scurrying out, not turning his back on her. Wise move. Knowing they'd be watching her, she gobbled the food down with gusto, then pushing the plate and plastic utensils away. _No metal. Also a good move. _The same small mouse-like man returned to take her things away but she stopped him by clearing her throat.

"I would like to be taken to the bathroom please." He nodded and left, standing in the door a moment and gesturing to the guard standing there. He entered the room, coming up behind her and shoving her forwards not so gently. She kept her balance, refusing to go sprawling in front of this beefy no-brained hired hand.

The journey was short, the man halting outside the room and letting her go inside alone. Wasting no time, she hastened to the end stall and dropped to her knees. The following action disgusted her, but nevertheless was necessary. Shoving two fingers down her throat, she threw up her drugged breakfast before she could digest it. She had to do it quietly, so that the guard wouldn't hear and make sure she got none on herself. Any trace of the acrid smell and they would know what she had done instantly and drug her again.

Once back in her room, she lay down, docile to the outer eye. Inwardly her mind churned with plans and hatred. She wished death on all of them. Every pirate. Oslo was a fraud; she would go to the governors. Show them her memories. Show them his duplicity. Then when he was deposed she would return to Puerto Angel as the leader of the Sphere and crush all resistance there. Find the sister of that woman Sasha; she was bound to be high up in their chain of command. She would rip the knowledge of who the other insurgents were from the ghost woman's pathetic mind and stamp out this irritating little revolution under her boot.

Satisfied, she crossed her arms over her chest and slept. She would need her strength for her escape.

* * *

><p><strong>December 18th 2252 Puerto Angel<strong>

Dahlia hummed to herself as she tightened the bolt, smiling as the baby's hand stroked against the inside of her belly. Mila had managed long ago to send a simple mental message to the unborn child telling it to lessen the kicking. Mila apparently now knew the gender of the child, but had remained tight lipped on the subject. As for Dahlia, the past month had passed in a flurry of activity. She saw little of Mahad now; he was always heading out on secret assignments that had him returning in the early mornings. Sometimes she'd lie awake specially just to feel him get into bed next to her and know that he was still alive and back safe. A piece of her twinged every time he went out, knowing that she didn't have his back in this fight. He always had Lena, of course, who often stowed away on his boat unbeknownst to their mother and Sasha.

She struggled to her feet, using the object in front of her as a hand hold. The oddest thing about pregnancy was the feeling of being off balance from the weight on her front. When she sat down she now needed someone to pull her back up, or had to rock forwards and propel herself up. It was humiliating. This little project was the only way she could feel useful. It kept her occupied on the days where Mahad was already late home and worrying her. It would bring him so much pleasure when she finally finished it, she could tell. Her father had been almost jumping with excitement when he handed her the blueprints. He'd designed it over ten years ago though, so there'd been modifications, improvements. The addition of new technology that had been developed since then had meant the blueprints had to be completely redrawn.

Admiring her work now, she had to admit she could barely wait a week for Christmas. He would love it, she was sure. Baby wriggled and she laughed at the squirmy feeling she'd come to enjoy, despite the oddness of the sensation.

Once the automatic lock on the door had clicked shut, she headed along the small pathway away from the small shed and along the bay where they parked all of the smaller ships. It both joyed and dismayed her to see how in the short month since Sasha arrived the ships that had once been almost exclusively family transport cruisers were now all fighter ships or stealth shuttles. Puerto Angel was changing in front of her eyes from a family community with a sharper side to a weaponised focal point of the new rebellion. The trade lines had changed. They no longer dealt with certain blocks. They would only buy produce from blocks that supported them. They supported each other in an odd, dependent way.

The lighthouse had become even more the central point of the island, much to the Vector's dismay. Several temporary cabins had popped up around the base of the lighthouse, destroying the Vector's 'oasis of calm' as he put it. Dahlia often sat in the main cabin in a corner, listening quietly to the strategists running through options, who to recruit, who to send where. They even had an old school map of Skyland spread on a table with all the blocks marked out on circles of ink and little planes and soldier squads that were pushed around to different blocks in an intricate game of risk. The Sphere loyalists were coloured in blue, the civilian fighter rebels were red and those members of the Sphere who were on their side were purple. The pattern fluctuated day by day, with the Sphere always seeming to move people to the wrong place and leaving blocks relatively undefended.

She decided to spend some time in there today, check up on their status. Nobody seemed to mind her being there as long as she kept out of the way. Any crew members she saw there always had a smile and a kind word to offer and it was a lot better than staying at home alone wondering what danger Mahad was in. She grabbed her usual corner seat and pulled out a book, making her eyes move along the page but instead listening to the conversation.

"Orion informs me that the Sphere is reinforcing the block of Ta'Li."

"That'll mean we'll be outnumbered there on U-day. It'll be risky to take it..."

"They're only half of them loyalists. Most are ours and working on conversion."

"Still, that block is crucial. If they get a foothold there we won't be able to trade with the Kenyan blocks." Cortes tapped a large set of circles in an almost flower like pattern. "They're very loyal to us, already signed the charter. Have a lot of men eager for the cause, so we won't need to put any of ours on there."

"I know, thank you Cortes. However we also have good contact with the communities in Ta'Li, lots of people will rise to take the block when U-day rolls around-"

"It'll be a gamble."

"Everything is now. But I assure you, When the call to revolt goes out, the Sphere will be too overwhelmed to reinforce everywhere."

"Aye. We'll just have to rely on our people there." Cortes pushed a small purple stick figure symbolising one squad over to Ta'Li, frowning as his eyes swept the board. "We're ready for now. Even if U-day should come tomorrow, we'd be ready. Our people are in place."

Sasha snorted "I wish it was coming tomorrow. As it is, we're weeks away. If the Sphere decides to move a load of people suddenly, we're fucked unless we can find a way to quietly move our own people to other blocks as well."

"Well, let's hope your Orion will do what he can to keep things stable. He's been invaluable. High up in the Sphere's tactical squad you say?"

"Yes, he's certainly well connected. Has his finger on the pulse. He's been taking care of recruitment within the Sphere while I'm not there. Sunshine is adamant of his utter loyalty to us, as am I." Sasha smiled and it seemed to Dahlia that she was trying to justify something.

Dahlia glanced over at one of the computer screens that lined the edge of the room. The one she was interested in particularly showed Puerto Angel and it's surrounding blocks, with Ningxia up in the far left corner and Puerto Angel in the centre. Little animated ships patrolled the air around Puerto Angel, with white cargo ships shown on route to other blocks. There were some dots scattered around, all of a different colour. Different officers on duty, she knew. Mahad's colour was a bright traffic light red that she was relieved to see was currently in Ningxia alongside Wayan's brown dot. When on Duty each of the higher officers carried a tracker that was placed inside their communicators and would send their location to this computer map. Every usual crewman with the rank of private carried a more ordinary tracker that placed them as a black dot on the screen. It was the most efficient way of seeing where all their local units were, but Dahlia found it a little intrusive, no matter how useful it was. Still, it comforted her that she could check on Mahad from here. Sometimes she'd see his dot on one other the other screens showing a different region of Skyland and wonder what on earth he was doing there, but didn't bother him with questions. If he wanted or was able to talk about the missions he would, but so much of his work was classified now.

Content now that she knew Mahad was in no imminent danger, she left the room to visit the Vector in his lighthouse. The door, surprisingly, was locked so she hammered on it, rubbing her hands together in the chill outside air.

"Go away!"

"Vector?"

"Dahlia? My apologies, I thought you were one of those relentless new recruits come to bother me into helping out with new technology or letting them use the lighthouse as an observation deck." A key scraped in the door and there stood he vector, who ushered her in before closing the door quickly. "An old man can never get a few minutes peace these days."

"It is the tallest place on the island. We've always used it as a meeting place and an overlook when there's been a problem before."

"Yes, but it's also my home and I dislike the idea of people trampling all over my work with their hobnail soldier boots when the war hasn't even started yet."

She chuckled wheezily, wishing there were less stairs in this place. Gone were the days where she could take the stairs two at a time without stopping.

"You look well child, how is the foetus?" He smiled, referring to her child in what was meant to be a friendly way, but only served to make him sound like a mad scientist.

"The foet- Oh the baby, yes, the baby is doing well" As if to agree, her child chose the moment to roll over and punch her side.

"Well, I have hot chocolate and mince pies upstairs, but do take your time-"

Dahlia's feet quickened simply at the mention of getting some nourishing, hot food inside her. Damn her hormones making her hungry.

* * *

><p><strong>December 18th 2252<strong>

They had finally come for her. Her eyes flickered open as the door swung back and two men entered the room, holding out a straight jacket for her. She put it on without complaint, allowing them to tie the back up so that she couldn't move her hands. She stumbled of balance without her hands as they walked to the courtroom until one of them put a hand on her shoulder to steady her and kept it there for the remainder of the walk, much to the other guards disgust.

"Why bother Michael? She is guilty."

"Until proven innocent?" The guard holding her shoulder quipped sarcastically, referencing an old earth saying.

"You got it the wrong way around. It's innocent until proven guilty." Snapped the other guard, who clearly hadn't seen the sarcasm. "Everyone knows that you idiot."

"So how was she proven guilty?"

"Commander Oslo said she was. Eye witness testimony, that's what that is."

"How do we know he's right?"

"He's the commander. He's never wrong."

"Not in your eyes." Muttered the guard so that only Diwan heard. She felt him squeeze her shoulder slightly in comfort and scowled. _Rebel sympathiser, I'm sure of it. The other guard is ignorant, but his support of the Sphere is clear. He respects the commander. That I can understand, since he does not know any better. This 'Michael' clearly thinks I'm like him._

They barely had a chance. As the rounded a corner where she knew there to be a window she attacked. The lack of arms was frustrating but not too debilitating. Pivoting on one foot she caught 'Michael' across the jaw with her foot, breaking the bone and knocking him into the other guard before finishing the arc by bringing her leg down and behind her other leg so that she stabilised, her legs spread apart in a wide base. The other guard struggled to her feet as her hands began to glow beneath the straight jacket, burning through the fabric. The positioning was perfect, with her back to the sun she could activate her powers. He was hindered by the sun shining directly in his eyes and as he rushed towards her she freed one hand and stopped him with one swift upwards thrust to the nose, driving the cartilage up into his brain. Vowing that she would kill him when she was in charge, she left Michael moaning on the floor and set off back the way they'd come from. She was on the lower floor of the house, in the private section they'd closed off for her in the hospital/sick bay section of the ship. The window of the room she'd been kept in looked out over the back of the house, into the garden. Throwing energy at the doctor who'd drugged her as she passed, she pounded into the room, scraped the chair off of the floor and struck it against the window once, then again until it fell out with a tinkling crash. She clambered over the ledge, biting her lip as glass pressed into her bare feet then slide down the wall outside and ran, her short hair whipping her face. They wouldn't have found the guards yet, she was betting. They'd only find them when they went looking. Or-

She snarled. Michael. She should have broken his legs to stop him running to get help. She'd only broken his jaw, why? That wasn't like her at all. The alarm began wailing just as she reached the tree line of the forest surrounding the house. She ran along the line, keeping as hidden as it was possible to be in a bright orange jumpsuit. She pulled it off as she ran, flinching as the air hit her bare skin. She tossed the jumpsuit high up into the branches off a tree so that it was half obscured by the leaves before climbing the neighbouring tree. Part two.

* * *

><p>About five minutes passed in silence until a private came running into the treeline, energy rifle at the ready. He spotted the glimpse of orange up at the top of the tree and raised his rifle.<p>

"Come out Lieutenant! Slowly, with your hands raised!"

Diwan dropped to the ground behind him silently and stalked over. She tapped his shoulder and as he turned grabbed and twisted the gun away before jabbing him in the knee with the butt of the rifle. He fell to the ground, opening his mouth to yell and suddenly found it filled with the muzzle of the gun.

"Try yelling for help. I dare you." She spat. "I need your clothes. Take them off." Slowly, he began shedding his uniform. "Faster, kid."

He finished removing it, handing her his helmet. He was an odd looking guy, scruffy and unshaven. She dressed quickly, holding the gun as steady as possible. He kept his eyes downwards in an odd display of courtesy as she covered herself up. If it had been her, she would have tried to snatch the gun back when the enemy was distracted by getting dressed.

"How odd, for a man to not take advantage of eyeing up a naked woman." She commented dryly aloud and he shrugged half-heartedly.

"How odd for a naked woman to drop out of a tree." He looked up and she was gone, sprinting away in the distance, the helmet hiding her face. Jared got up and ran towards the house, thankful that he at least had underwear on. Sunshine would need informing of this right away. He shouted the direction she'd run off into to a passing captain, who radioed it in straight away.

Diwan smirked, hopping on the back of a departing air bus full of visitors. It was procedure to evacuate any civilians if the ship's safety was ever compromised.

"Private?"

"Orders sir, been reassigned as extra security for the boat." She shouted back to the sergeant standing next to the terminal, who gave a swift nod and untethered the ship from where it was moored.

"Save travel private" He hollered after her before turning and standing to attention. She smirked. _I'm glad that I look nothing like I used to. Though this hair Charlotte insisted on keeping is irritating, nobody recognises me without my tattoo and eye shadow._

She settled into a chair, accepting the smiles and thanks of the other passengers with a false smile of her own. _I _will_ succeed._

* * *

><p><strong>December 18th 2252 Flagship Olympus<strong>

"Oslo!" Gasped Kiya, bursting into his study and drawing his attention away from the papers he'd been working upon.

"What has happened?"

"Diwan has escaped, we dispatched officers to search for her, but she overwhelmed one and took his gear. We don't know where she is now."

"I understand, thank you Kiya, I'll go outside immediately. Contact her. Warn them that she might return." He stopped in the door and turned back to her "Tell her not to try and take Diwan on by herself. If that woman finds out Sasha's still alive, I don't even want to think of the consequences."

Kiya snorted as he left at a run. "Yeah, like Sasha would listen." She dug in the top drawer of his desk and brought out a small portable tablet computer. She flicked through the options, then set up a video call with Sasha, hoping against hope she'd respond. The call fell through.

"Shit, Sasha." She typed out a brief message explaining what had happened and sent it, hoping Sasha would think to check her communicator. A brainwave hit her and she scrambled over to the office phone dialling for the operator.

"Hi I need you to place a call."

"Certainly, where to?"

"Long distance, a block called Puerto Angel. I want you to call the- well whoever is in charge."

"I- Who, I don't know who is in charge."

"You have a list, yes, of connections on that block? Well, get me the town hall, should be listed under the lighthouse. Whoever. This is a top priority call, you may have noticed but I'm calling from the Commander's phone. He wishes for this conversation to not be bugged or traced. If it is the culprit will face execution. Am I clear Operator?" She finished in her most imperious voice

"Yes Ma'am. Right away Ma'am."

"Thank you." She waited patiently, tapping her foot. If this was any other telephone it might have been too risky. She highly doubted that when he set up bugs and phone taps Oslo would have bugged his own phone, but you never know.

"Hello?" Came a cautious voice on the other end of the line."

"Hello!" She replied cheerfully. "How are you then?"

"Fine, fine. Who is this?"

"I'm and old friend of Silvia's! It's lovely here with so much sunshine around. Do you think you could pass me over to her?"

For a terrible moment Sunshine thought that whoever this old man was, he hadn't figured out the code she was sending, then he suddenly seemed to realise.

"Stay here while I get here!" He shouted to someone with him and there was a click as the phone was set down on some sort of surface followed by the sound of footsteps clumping downstairs. Kiya waited, shifting from foot to foot, looking out the window as men in full combat gear raced around the house and the surrounding area for as far as she could see, scouring the place for Diwan.

There was a scuffle on the other end of the line and suddenly Sasha's voice was on the other side, punctuated by a soft panting.

"Yo, how you doin'" Sasha and her had long ago decided as a code to use the Japanese name "yo" meaning sunshine as a code to check the identity of the other person, since it sounded more like the person was just greeting her.

"I'm alright Silvia, work has been terrible though, the Clyde is getting a little frantic over losing his Parka jacket. He thinks he might have left it at your place."

"I understand, thanks for that."

"No problem doll. I've got that video of the day we went stargazing, want me to send it over?"

"Yeah, sure. Bye now!"

The phone clicked and Kiya put the handset down, diving back to grab the tablet computer. Within seconds, it made a soft tinkling noise as it received an incoming video call. She pressed accept and scowled at Sasha's worried face when it appeared.

"I take it you understood me?"

"Yes, just read your message as well."

"Now we're on a secure line, let me just say..." She paused and grinned "It's good to hear from you."

"Likewise. But business first; when did she escape?"

"Maybe half an hour ago. If she is heading for you, Parker will probably..." Kiya tailed off, looking at the blonde woman who had just brushed into view.

"What is it?" Sasha prompted, frowning. Kiya shook her head.

"Nothing at all. Just- Wow. Times _have _changed since I was last in Puerto Angel."

"You're from here?" Dahlia interrupted and Kiya smiled. Her voice, at least, had not changed.

"Oh, thereabouts. Don't you recognise me?"

"Should I?"

"Hate to break up the little mysterious conversation you got going on, but could you actually get down to the whole 'there's a psychotic killer on the loose' topic?" Sasha interrupted, walking away so that Dahlia was no longer in view. The screen showed the room around her rising upwards and Kiya realised she was descending a flight of stairs.

"She somehow managed to activate her powers, despite being given a double dose of suppressant drugs this morning. Doctor said it was strange, after Oslo's visit this morning all she did was eat, go to the toilet and then sleep the rest of the time away."

"She went to the toilet? Was anyone in there with her?"

"Eww, of course not, I mean- Oh. You think she might have not swallowed it, maybe just spat it out into the toilet?"

"No, I think she made herself sick."

"Oh. Nasty. Well, she overwhelmed her guards as they were taking her up to the courtroom to be officially tried and executed. They walked past a window and she just jumped them suddenly. Killed one, wounded another and fled. All we've seen since then of her was out in the forest, she snuck up on Jared-"

"Is he alright?"

"Fine, she stole his clothes."

"What?"

"Yeah, well she was wearing a jumpsuit so I guess she wanted to blend in. She took his communicator though, it was strapped to her shoulder so we're working on a trace, the guys think she must have destroyed it though because they're not finding anything."

The scene around Sasha changed, briefly showing the rolling hill that the lighthouse was situated on, before darkening as Sasha entered a different building. Kiya frowned. She didn't remember there being any buildings anywhere near the lighthouse.

"Want to tell me what that was about back there?" Sasha asked casually "With Dahlia?"

"Oh, that's ancient history, not worth bothering yourself with." Kiya smiled. The screen blurred and fuzzed for a second before Sasha nodded.

"I need to update the others, thanks Sunshine that was invaluable. Give my regards to Orion. Tell him I'll be over to visit later just to make sure everything is ship shape. Don't let him worry too much."

The screen darkened and Kiya set the pad down on Oslo's desk. The past month or so had been too bizarre for words. It hadn't sit well with her that Oslo had suddenly had a change of heart. It was possible, of course. Anyone could see that he cared for Sasha. But did he care that much? No, with Oslo there was always a hidden agenda. There had to be. It was likely that he'd seen how fast the Sphere was sinking and jumped ship, capitalising on Sasha's leadership to ensure a high position in the new organisation. What the pirates would do when they found out about him she didn't know. But it wouldn't be pretty.

* * *

><p><strong>18th December 2252 Puerto Angel<strong>

Dahlia scowled, racking her brains for who the woman could possibly have been. No answer presented itself to her, no matter how hard she searched within the inky pools of her memory. There was something familiar in the woman's cheekbones and for the split second that the woman laughed, she'd had a sensation of Deja Vu pass through her like a ripple.

"Dahlia, do you know that woman?" The Vector asked tentatively, placing his hand on her elbow.

"I've never seen her before in my life." Dahlia stated, only half confident that her words were true.

* * *

><p><strong>24th December 2252 (23.48)<strong>

Lena exhaled, watching her breath crystallize in the air around her. When she was younger, she'd always pretended with Mahad that the curling mist was smoke and that she was a terrifying dragon. He was too old for such antic now, she felt, and so was she. Almost. When she'd turned thirteen a few months back, the realisation that she was no longer a naïve farm girl had crashed over her like a ton of bricks. Her simple life in Babylonia felt like a dream, half remembered and distant. It faded more with every day. Somehow, she knew that even if she could go back to Babylonia and live in their old house, it wouldn't be the same. The place would remain unchanged. The same building, the same rolling hills surrounding it. The same people, even. But not her. She was different in a way that she couldn't put into words, although she felt it deeply, right to the marrow in her bones.

Trudging through the snow was a chore. This morning it had been pristine and fresh, but over the day it had been ground down into ice and patches of frigid slush that slid beneath her boots. The sky was remarkably clear. The North Star was particularly bright overhead, winking at her from thousands of miles away. She found it incredible, that something could be so vast that it was visible so far away.

Singing tinkled into her ears from the church hall ahead of her. This wasn't her first winter in Puerto Angel, so by no means would it be her first Christmas here, but last Christmas her mother had been Oslo's prisoner. It had been an awful time, not only for her, but also Mahad. He'd never said anything. Just thrown himself into his work with more spirit than ever, but she could see the grief in his actions. She'd spent last Christmas eve crying next to the fire, looking at the glass of milk that she'd poured out for Santa. She was too old to believe in him anymore, but Mila had always insisted upon doing it out of tradition, so Lena continued to do it every year, even that year. It had been a stupid thing that set her off crying. But as she poured out the milk she'd realised there were no home made cookies to go with it, because her mother wasn't there. Because she'd maybe never be there again.

Lena shook off the memory before the sadness could grip her; after all, why be miserable about the past when their mother was safe now? The road her house was on was coming up to her left and she headed down it, shivering and hitting her hands together to forced some warmth into them. Her key to the door was in her pocket, but her numb hands refused to curl around the tiny slip of metal, so she settled for hammering her fist on the door until Mila yanked it open.

"Come on in then, silly, before the cold air does." Obeying her mum, she hurried over the threshold and stamped her feet on the mat whilst the door was closed and latched behind her.

"So did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, I suppose so. I've never been carolling. We stayed in the square the whole time and there was this hot, sweet drink-"

"Mulled wine?" Suggested Mila, taking her daughter's snow sodden coat off.

"Yes, that's what it was I think. Cortes wasn't so keen on it, said it tasted much too bitter. Mahad caught trouble off of Sasha for saying that was rich coming from a bitter old-"

"Thank you Lena, I get the idea. How is Dahlia?"

"She's well, but she didn't come. She didn't want to risk going out in the cold when the baby is so near. Plus, you never know what the cold might do."

"Ahh, well, that's admirable of her to be taking precautions, but there's really no need. They'd both be fine so long as they wrapped up warm."

"So why didn't you come?" Lena teased, pulling off her soaked socks and searching for her slippers next to the radiator.

Mila chuckled "The one time I went carolling was one time with your father, not long after I'd met him. He'd convinced me that the atmosphere would be more than enough to make up for the cold. He was quite right, however it wasn't enough to make up for the chilblains the cold gave me."

"Ouch." Lena nodded understandingly. "Would you like some cocoa?"

"I've already made some, as well as the cookies." Mila's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Although I think we might as well eat them ourselves since you and Mahad are both more than old enough to have guessed the truth."

Lena giggled and ran into the living room, curling herself onto the couch with her cold feet underneath her. Her mother soon walked through with two mugs and a plate. She set them on the floor at their feet, careful that they were at a safe distance.

"Don't knock that over," she warned "I don't want a brown stain on my lovely cream carpet."

"I thought you hated cleaning?"

"Yes, which is precisely why I don't like people making _mess_." Mila pulled the soft blanket that rested over the back of the couch over the two of them and smiled as her daughter snuggled closer to her, leaning on her shoulder. These moments were getting preciously few as Lena grew up. It pained her that as they grew up, her children had become more distant as they became independent and needed her less and less. She knew that they loved her no less, but she still missed the times where she would sit on the couch, Mahad on one side and Lena on the other, all in a heap of legs and arms as one small, loving family. Lena munched obliviously on a biscuit, feeling inwardly satisfied that she was finally able to eat these herself instead of leaving them for a man who didn't exist except in her childish hopes.

There was a thunderous crash from the roof about them and Lena jumped, kicking wildly and catching the mug and sending it rolling across the floor. Mila stood and crept to the window, looking up towards the roof. The angle was too sharp, even when she stretched her neck as much as she could to try and see what had made the noise.

"I can't see. Wait here." She instructed before moving silently out of the room and into the hallway.

_Maybe Santa does and he's come to give me a right whupping for eating his cookies.. _Lena pushed the idiotic thought out of her head, nervous laughter dying on the way out of her throat. The fright was making her think stupidly. She knelt and began mopping up the mess she'd made with a tissue.

There was a whistling sound nearby and a flashing beam of light fell through the window, bright enough to make her blink. A half second later a booming roar echoed in her ears and the windows rattled and shook in their frames. Someone was shouting, the words filtering through her ringing ears. She abandoned her task, running in the direction her mother had left. They collided in the hallway and she struck wildly at her mother, thinking it might be an attacker.

"Attack!" Her mother screamed in her ears, pulling her towards the door and shoving boots and coats on. Lena had guessed as much, terror pounding through her as she grabbed gloves as an afterthought.

They opened the door and a blast of heat, not cold hit them. There was a cloud of smoke a few streets away, billowing upwards from near the church. The fire was hot enough for her to feel it on her exposed cheeks and it caused tears to steam from her eyes unheeded. She was being dragged unceremoniously by the hand, to where she didn't know. People were leaving their houses all around them, milling around in panic.

She vaguely realised that since it was night they were both completely defenceless. No seijin powers on their side this time. Just luck and their wits.

Another whistling sound filled the air, further away this time and Mila pulled her into the doorway of a nearby shop front. She needn't have; the flash erupted on the other side of town this time. Together they staggered out and into the street. Half of the church was crumbling, leaning over as if it was drunk. Most of it seemed to have held. People were streaming out of the church, some clutching burns, most sobbing. Mila dragged her over to the fence nearby and squatted down in front of her.

"Lena, I need to help these people. If you can help, do that too. But most of all stay safe. We need to get them out of danger, okay? Get them into houses with cellars, that sort of thing. People are too panicked to realise what they need to do. Stay right _here _and I'll be back_._"

Mila pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead and raced off, leaping onto a pile of rubble near the church, waving her hands for attention. Lena leant against the fence, watching her mother shouting animatedly to the crowd, most of whom had heard her calls for calm. She couldn't help but feel proud of her mother remaining so cool-headed in the face of this chaos. Mila gesticulated wildly and the people dispersed a little, heading in groups into houses. Some remained behind, running off towards the docks and the lighthouse. A chilling cry rose about the din for a second, juddering through Lena's bones. Fear overtook her as she realised that scream could belong to any of the people she knew. It could be Dahlia, Mahad, Wayan, Cheng...A long line of faces and possibilities flashed before her as she feared the worst and hoped for the best.

* * *

><p><strong>25<strong>**th**** December 2252 (00.00)**

Mahad stirred his head as something heavy fell onto it. Dimly through half open eyes he saw a pair of feet running away from him. _How considerate to step on an injured man's head instead of helping him up. _He thought grudgingly, rolling his aching body onto his left side. The last thing he remembered was seeing the first bomb drop on the other side of time. There'd been a smashing sound nearby and he'd been thrown off of his feet.

Immediately, his thoughts flew to Dahlia and Baby. His muscles ground into motion, the pain making him stumble and groan aloud. The shuffling motion of his feet carried him the remaining distance to their house. He'd already been heading home when the attack began, so he didn't have too far to go, but in his state it felt much longer than he knew it to be.

_Check Dahlia is okay, must check. _He felt the communicator strapped to his belt buzz against his waist and he snatched it off roughly, holding it to his ear.

"Control to all units, emergency, I repeat Emergency. All personnel to their stations. Situation is priority two. Implement strategy 2, Orders are from the highest authority. Repeat; all personnel to their stations _immediately_" The voice was garbled, but it was undoubtedly the vector.

Mahad cursed bitterly; there were different ranks of priority, with two meaning that they had an aerial attack from a large enough force to wipe them out. It also meant that said force was also attempting to land upon the block and needed to be engaged immediately. He was meant to be heading to the easternmost take off point, where his fighter cruiser was waiting. He was a Captain now, after all. Not as grand as it sounded, since it was quite a low down rank in the mishmash army they'd formed, but he had command of a company of one hundred or so men and women. Half of the platoons making up his company were infantry only, so they'd be staying on the ground and using the guns there to fire at enemy ships, but the aerial fighters would need him there to organise some sort of plan and lead them into the sky.

He was torn. Dahlia or his troops? One woman he loved or a hundred people he was friends with? He wasted a few precious seconds spinning on the spot, deciding, before he raced off in the direction of his house. _Dahlia. Every time._

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (00.10)<strong>

Dahlia panted, groaning lightly and wheezed. She was having a panic attack, she knew, but it was hard to stop after she'd started.

_No, this is not happening right_ _now. I refuse. I object. The average is meant to be 40 weeks. I've had 35, how is that fair? I hate you, whoever set that bomb off. I heard things could start with stress but I never ever _dreamt_ that someone could be jump started into giving birth. But I can't be in labour. It's just because I'm panicking._

Dahlia glanced down at her stomach and felt it again, a twitching cramping sensation that turned into a full on ache before subsiding, all within a second.

_Okay, maybe it's not the panic. Hospital – No, can't risk the streets. Need to bring help here. Must stay calm. _She froze for a second, gathering her thoughts together with as much self discipline as she could manage in the current situation. _Okay, think. What do I know? Bomb hit, big explosion, scared the living daylights out of me and suddenly I'm getting what feels like it could be contractions. The baby will be premature if it pops out right now, but my water hasn't broken. Does the water break before you go into labour or after? On the old movies and soaps it looks like the woman's water breaks and she immediately goes into labour, but what is happening here?_

There was a slamming as the front door was thrown back and hit the wall. She flinched, whirling around to grab the first blunt object that came to hand. It happened to be an enormous dictionary of baby names that she'd been poring through with Mahad just a few hours ago. She concealed herself behind the door leading into the room, lifting the book as she heard the figure approaching quietly through the hallway. _Sphere agents? Could it be her..? Not again. I'll teach her not to come into my house and threaten _MY _family._

The intruder had slowed, stepping cautiously through the dark passageway towards the room she was in. Her sweaty fingers gripped the book harder, tensing to spring. After so many months of sitting back from the action, she was almost eager to get back to a good fight. The adrenaline laced her veins and made everything around her sharper; she imagined that she could almost hear her opponents breath. The sound she was waiting for cracked through the silence like a whip. The floorboard on the border between this room and the hallway creaked loudly and she swung around the door, slamming the book into the man's face.

"Argh! Ach, ouch. Dahlia! Wait!" She stopped just before she swung a second time, recognising Mahad's voice.

"Oh! I'm sorry I-ahhhh." She whimpered clutching her stomach as another contraction took hold. Ignoring his questions, she slapped away his comforting hands and grabbed him by the shirt with both fists.

"Mahad. Baby is coming. Do something." She shook him slightly, her grip lessening as the aftershocks wore off.

"Are you sure? Like...right now?"

"No, when hell freezes over. OF COURSE RIGHT NOW" She bellowed.

He hesitated "Couldn't you just...Hold it in?" Mahad quailed under the look she shot him.

"Hold. It. In?" She snarled and pulled him even closer "Listen closely. If you don't get me to a hospital right _now, _I am going to be having this baby right here and _you _will be the one delivering it. Also, once I'm done having the child I'm going to rip you a new arsehole. DO WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER?"

Mahad fumbled for his communicator again, pressing the talk button. "This is Captain Mahad calling control, er I can't be part of the defence operation."

"State your reasons, and believe me Mahad, they better be pretty damn good since you're disobeying a direct order." This time it was Sasha on the radio, not the Vector like earlier.

"They are, I assure-" Dahlia snatched the communicator out of his hand

"I AM CURRENTLY HAVING A BABY. I don't care if you're the queen of the whole world. I'm his...well, I'm almost his wife and I say he's busy, so you can shove your orders up you a-haaaa!" Dahlia moaned as another cramp hit, thankfully just in time so she didn't insult Sasha too badly. Mahad gently removed the small box from between her fingers as she curled half over, breathing out heavily.

"Sorry about that, Dahlia's gone into premature labour and she's a little … tetchy?" Dahlia snarled at his comment but said nothing, eyes closed.

"Understandable. Get her to the hospital. But then as soon as she's safe I want you back to your post."

"Thank you Marshal. Over and out."

He clipped the communicator back onto his belt, taking Dahlia by the arm and leading her from the house. The sky outside was clear as glass and across it he saw the shadows of Sphere ships and some of their own ships fighting fiercely, illuminated only when an explosion threw light across the canvas sky that they danced upon.

"God almighty." Dahlia murmured, getting her view of outside for the first time. The streets were empty now thankfully, faces peered around net curtains in some of the houses. They walked for ten minutes and only encountered a small squad of eight infantry running into the middle of the street and setting up a few machine guns on one of the higher piles of debris. One of them was holding a bazooka. More than ever, she realised that this, _this _was the world their child was being born into. It wasn't flowers and sunshine. It was blood, death and war that awaited this defenceless child within her. A sudden urge seized her for the baby to not come out. For it to stay where it was, safe from the pain that was living. Then another resolve took place, a resolve to fight hard for this cause. Because although she couldn't make the baby stay safe within her, she could make this world safe for her baby.

"Don't look," Murmured Mahad, pulling her closer to his side as they passed the charred remains of a fallen airship marked with their own colours. She obeyed, not wanting to know. As she turned her face into his shoulder, Mahad gazed emptily at the badly burned body that lay spread eagled at the base of the ship. As he looked, it croaked and moved a hand feebly. There was nothing he could do for them, even though it felt immoral to leave them laying there. The medical staff would find him and deal with him. They would surely have seen the ship go down and heard it's mayday call. They'd be here any minute.

He reassured himself with hopeful possibilities, knowing that he might very well be wrong and leaving the man to his death. It grated harshly against everything he believed, but the need to see Dahlia to safety was stronger.

"How far?" She shouted over the noise of a lamppost nearby tottering to the ground.

"Twenty minutes walk, in these conditions, longer." He replied, pulling her aside as a large chunk of masonry fell just where they had been standing.

"Too long" She gasped, her stomach going into spasms. "I need to get there faster-"

There was the sound of a vehicle approaching and Mahad automatically shielded her with his body as he turned to squint into the smoke filled air. A small hovercraft was zipping down the streets towards them, swerving to avoid the obstacles that filled the street. It screeched to a halt beside him and there upon it, grim faced, sat Maria.

"Get on Dahlia, I'm taking you to the hospital. Mahad, you get back to what you're meant to be doing. Sasha will have your hide otherwise."

"What about you? You're disobeying orders."

"Screw my orders, this is more important and it'll only take a minute to get her there."

Dahlia nodded, clambering onto the craft and buckling herself into one of the seats with difficulty because of her belly. Remembering something vital, she turned around

"Mahad, go to the docks, there's a shed, number 16, the keycode is your birthday. You need to go there first."

"What? Dahlia, if you're doing that thing where you send me off on crazy missions to get the food you're craving in particular, now is really not the time-"

"Just do it!" She roared after him as Maria took off at high speed, the wind making Dahlia's eyes water. Without taking her eyes off the road, Maria tossed her a pair of goggles. Within minutes, the hospital arrived in view. There was a flock of vehicles moving in and out and a mass of people on the roof equipped with anti- aircraft guns. To her surprise, the area was relatively darkened instead of floodlit.

"If we light the place we're just going to give the enemy a really nice big target." Maria stated, seeing Dahlia's surprise. "Lets get you inside."

* * *

><p>Mahad hurried down the slope towards the docks, looking for the number 16. <em>Don't know why I'm doing this. Sasha is going to- <em>As if hearing his thoughts, his radio buzzed.

"Captain Mahad! Why is your tracker showing you at the west docks when you should be in the air already?" Sasha voice was no longer politely restrained but dangerously angry. He ignored it, thinking it would be best to pretend there was a problem with his communicator. Sasha didn't contact him again, no doubt too busy to bother with him right now.

He found the right shed in the end, tapped in the four digit number and there was a soft buzz. He pushed the door inwards and it relented. A dark, hulking mass sat within the middle of the shed. He groped for a light switch and was suddenly swamped with bright light. Whatever it was, a tarpaulin hid it from view, but the shape rolled around in his memory until suddenly, it clicked into place. He ripped the sheet off in his excitement, revealing the sleek form of the Hyperion. But not the Hyperion. It was the same shape, but possessed none of the "just thrown together" quality that the Hyperion had exuded. The engines on the side, for instance were covered. So that the whole hull was sleek and flawless. It curved in a way that he knew would make it even more aerodynamic than before. It held some of the features of the old Hyperion; bright red and with the same characteristic pointed wings. He almost shouted in pleasure, then a loud crackle from his belt reminded him the others were still waiting for him. _When this is over, I am going to be the most grateful fiancé EVER to Dahlia. She deserves a thousand diamonds for this. _He thought as he clambered into the cockpit, spotting a hand written note tied with ribbon sitting on the dashboard.

_Did you know your father's ship was named Hyperion after the Titan Hyperion, who was the lord of the light and the East? Well, I think it's time you stepped out of your father's shadow. This is Helios, named after the sun god who was the son of Hyperion. I hope you'll put your Christmas present to good use._

_Love now and always, Dahlia x_

He breathed out, stashing the note in a handy compartment. He felt some of his old childish glee creeping in, despite the destruction outside, as he realised that this just might be the best Christmas present ever.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (12.30am) Puerto Angel Lighthouse<strong>

Sasha rubbed her temples wearily as people scurried around organising the reinforcements of troops to different parts of the block. _They caught us unawares, how? Oslo gave no warning, he's been silent for days. We were all so caught up in holiday spirits they managed to sneak up and cripple us. Half our forces stopped to make sure their families were safe first before reporting for duty, now we're having to gradually gain ground against an enemy we can't see and who controls the sky above us._

Belatedly, she remembered an old quote from her favourite author; "Once the command of the air is obtained by one of the contending armies, the war becomes a conflict between a seeing host and one that is blind." This was definitely holding true in real life, since now all she got were half formed reports and figures.

Cortes glanced over at her from his table where he was trying to get some sort of idea how many opponents they were up against. His hair was dishevelled and his uniform loosely tied, exuding a sort of calm, carefully controlled panic that she felt inside also. Nevertheless, she was glad to have someone with a cool head by her side.

"Calling command centre, we appear to have an unidentifiable ship on radar, attempting to get it in sight – hell, that thing is fast. Can't get a lock on it. It looked like..No, negative on the visual ID."

"Go on, what did it look like?" Cortes pressed.

"The Hyperion, sir, but that's-"

"Where is Mahad?" George called and Cortes turned to Sasha, who glanced at the trackers on the screen.

"He's in the air, but that's got to be a glitch, he couldn't have taken off from that dock, all the ships are already in the sky..."

"Clearly not all of them." Muttered Cortes, a slow smile curling his cheeks. "I take it you know something about this George?"

"Well, before I was captured all those years ago, I had just managed to track down a valuable old engine in a sphere junk-yard. The plan then was to build another Hyperion, a mark 2, since the original was a prototype and, quite frankly, way too prone to falling to pieces. I'd told nobody else; Marcus was missing and the Hyperion with him by then so who else could I tell? It had seemed a good idea to try and build a copy, after all I'd studied that old piece of junk more than even Marcus maybe did. I'd made some Blueprints as well, so I knew exactly how I'd do it."

"And let me guess, when you returned you picked up your old project where you left it?"

"I made some improvements, did most of the heavy work, but Dahlia helped with all the interior and the wiring, suggest alterations to the design. But yes, I did indeed. It's called Helios though, the new ship. It would be wrong to have called it Hyperion."

Just then, Mahad's voice came through the speakers "WOOOHOOO, Yeah! Alright! We've got thirty ships above us in a rough V-formation, about six are badly hit, should only take a couple of shots and yes! Two down, give me a minute and I'll have the others..."

"Mahad, is there a ship up there bigger than the others?" Cortes inserted urgently

"Uhhh Yeah, affirmative I see it right ahead, want me to hit it?"

"No! It'll fall onto the block if you hit it now. Take out more of the other smaller ships. Organised your troops into formation Mahad."

"Understood." Mahad replied. Sasha shook her head, smiling slightly despite herself. _We might have a better chance now Mahad is in the air. He's not exactly the worlds new Einstein, but the kid can fly; I'll give him that._

She stretched, feeling the ligaments of her back pop into place. She pulled out her pocket communicator and tried once again to contact Kiya, but there was no response. _Why didn't we get any warning? Why are the Sphere attacking us when Oslo is on our side? _We _were meant to make the first move. I can only assume...either he has turned on us, or someone has leaked information and the whole venture might be compromised. Our other agents in Braz__í__lia, Na'saki and all the other blocks might have attacks on the way to them. _Sasha smacked her head as she realised how stupid she'd been not warning them earlier.

"Cortes, here now." The ginger headed man strode over, leaning in close so that she could whisper.

"Someone, somewhere must have betrayed us. Our other agents might be in danger. I believe that it's time." His eyes widened.

"This is earlier than expected."

"It might be the only choice we have. Either we rise up now and take the territory before the attackers arrive, or we sit quietly and wait for the Sphere to attack us on all fronts. If there's soldiers here, it's reasonable to assume there's more on the way to our other strongholds."

He nodded uneasily. "I don't like it. But we don't have much of a choice." He straightened, looking at her directly in the eye. "I will follow whatever decision you make Sasha. Just make sure it's the right one and doesn't get us killed, eh?"

He paced away to talk to a harried looking medical adviser and Sasha cursed his turned back. He was right of course, it was her decision. But that didn't make her feel any better about making it. It meant that if she decided to do this and people were killed, it was her fault and hers entirely.

She hesitated, her fingers poised over the keypad before typing in five letters. BLOOM. She pressed send before she could hesitate and the message was transmitted from her phone to the devices that every major member carried, to the computers of every one of her agents. U-day had begun.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252: (6.30am) Brazília<strong>

Alice woke to a loud ringing from the communicator she kept hidden under one of her floorboards. Understanding dawned upon her as she realised it was time. The shock felt like she had stepped outside and had an avalanche of snow fall onto her head. It dripped through her body like lead. It was a matter of a few minutes to remove the communicator and read the single word; bloom. She remembered the time she'd finally managed to coax the significance of it out of Sasha.

"_So why is the codename bloom?"_

"_You haven't noticed your pins?"_

"_What about them? They're just to show rank, you stick them on your epaulettes..." Alice rolled one of the little pins that she'd received with her commission between her fingers, looking at it intensely for the first time. She'd always thought there was something slightly off about the shape; they weren't quite circular. They were, on closer inspection a cluster of circles, almost like_

"_Roses?"_

"_Yes, roses. Red roses for the lower ranks to symbolise Courage, respect and Passion. White if you're a higher rank; which you are."_

"_What is the white a symbol for?"_

"_Humility, Reverence and Secrecy. Each of which you should have to be a god leader. Humility, because whilst you are a higher rank, your life is just as valuable as the men you command; so take care to protect them. Reverence for the value of life and those you command and are commanded by; take not the easy route but the one which will cause the least suffering to your people. Finally, secrecy, which is self explanatory really."_

"_I never knew there was a deeper meaning to the pins. Or to roses. But why did you chose them?"_

"_To remind myself that revolution is not a bed of roses." Sasha's mouth quirked in an impression of a smile that failed to look cheerful in any way._

Alice's hands shook as she reached into her drawer and pulled out the uniform she kept at the bottom. It was a simple affair, khaki trousers and a brownish yellow shirt, over which went her jacket with it's epaulettes. The sun dawned as she fixed the pins and headed out the door to the rendezvous point that she had agreed with the others months before when they formulated their plan for taking Brazília. She was glad that the early morning meant that there were few people in the streets. That would make it much easier and a lot less likely that civilians would get in the way. Helmet fixed securely onto her head, she stepped out into the grey streets beneath the burning embers of early sunlight and tried not to think about how this might be her last ever day alive.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (1.30am)<strong>

Lee staggered and stumbled out of bed, not at all awake but following the infernal ringing coming from- He snapped awake, grabbing the communicator and looking at the screen.

BLOOM.

He sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Time to wake the others. Tibald would not be pleased to have his sleep disturbed, but it couldn't be helped. Sasha had long ago spoken to them about wishing to form a sort of super state, a council of blocks or countries. All standing together against the Sphere. They had agree to use Ningxia as one of the bases of the new order. They'd have to start actively defending Ningxia from now on, once they openly declared opposition to the Sphere rather than Neutrality. It would be a frightening step for all of the citizens, but living in constant awareness of how the Sphere could blot them out any second was much worse. He quickly replied to the message confirming he had received it and requesting and update on why the day had come earlier than expected.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (12.35am) Puerto Angel<strong>

"People are asking why the day has come early. They're all ready, but confused." The vector reported from his corner desk where he was organising communications coming from other blocks.

"I should tell them. But then again, the knowledge that the Sphere has found us out might frighten some of them off.." Sasha considered, frowning. "Then again, it would also make them see that there is no choice but to fight." She nodded to herself and reached for her communicator again. She hesitated then decided not to send a purely textual message. In the past, she'd never risked sending a visual message to everyone; there was too much risk of someone intercepting it and discovering the identity of Silver. Now that mattered even less than the weather.

She propped the screen so that the camera face her and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Quietly, she pressed the button to open a live feed.

"Good morning all of you. A lot of you are wondering why this momentous day has come early. I won't lie to you; it is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. But I urge you not to be disheartened. Somehow, the Sphere has discovered the presence of Rebels here on Puerto Angel and we are under attack. I'm not overly worried; they have greater forces, but we have greater hearts. After all, it's only taken them 20 years to discover the presence of rebels here" She smirked sardonically, "I believe that it is possible that there may be other forces heading to other members of our group, yet if they are heading towards you, they do not know that you already know their intent. Strike first, even before they try to catch us by surprise and we will have already conquered the towns and the cities so that when they arrive, seeking to hunt us out they will find us sitting in the positions they once occupied and they shall find the weapons they built on the walls of their cities trained upon _them_ this time."

Sasha paused, allowing her voice to drop softer. "This is our chance to make things better. I look around these days and I can barely see where justice has gone. All I can see is cruelty and deception and the fear of a nation oppressed into submission. Where is the righteousness of past ages? Where did the concept of human rights go? Were we really unaware of the state of things? Have we only just seen the truth? Or have we only just chosen to see the truth. The truth that we all made this world, just as much as the Sphere did. When the Earth shattered and they were there, nobody questioned them. Was it ignorance that led us to accept their help? Or was it desperate greed, the need to survive? Be assured, there is no blame on me or upon you exclusively. The blame is upon everyone, for everyone saw and everyone did nothing. Because we were afraid. Because we were desperate. Because we _needed_ them and as long as they weren't hurting _us, _what did it matter if a few prisoners died mysterious deaths. So what if a few people we didn't know might be getting tortured just a mile from our house? It was not our business. It was not our fault. It was not ours to correct, hmm? But it should have been our business, and when they died because there was noone to speak up for them, it became the fault of the public as much as it was the fault of the person who physically blotted out their existence. Look inside yourself. I think every one of you is ready for this. I think _we _are ready for this. So when you go out there today, don't be thinking of revenge, or glory or power. Think of the trust between us and the belief we share, because this is not a revolution of power. This is not a fight to discard an organisation, it is to discard an idea that has rotted at the core of our society for too long; the idea that freedom is outdated and unobtainable. Because I tell you this: Some of us may die today. Some of us might be captured or injured. But they have never and will never deprive you of your freedom. They can chain you down and beat you up, but all they could ever possess is the body; the shell in which you exist. Your mind and spirit cannot be possessed and it cannot be tamed. The revolution has already taken place; a revolution of the mind and it has happened in every single person here. We have seen the horrors around us, we have witnessed the slaughter and destruction and after years of society putting it to the back of their minds, we did something incredible. We said No. Now we must stand up and defend that belief, before they try to tear it from us. They will try with all their might, because they are afraid that when others see what we fight for, they will be emboldened and join us. A tidal wave of change will follow our example and wash away the filth and corruption of the old ways. But every wave begins as a thousand tiny ripples flowing together as one. You are one of those ripples; small and mighty, laying the foundations for the future to come. May Lady luck smile upon you and fortune ease your path."

Sasha reached out and switched the camera off, ending the transmission. Cortes patted her shoulder briefly before moving past her to the door. They all had things to be doing.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (12.40am)<strong>

"I don't understand." Dahlia sighed, wiggling down into the bed so she was more comfortable "I thought I'm in labour?"

"You are, although there are drugs to delay a premature onset labour. We'd like to give you some of these because right now the doctors are busy treating the wounded so if something goes wrong with the birth there'd be noone to call."

The young soon to be mother sighed "I kinda wanted to just get it over with."

"Wouldn't it be better this way? The drugs will only delay the labour by about eight hours, the attack should be over by then." The nurse hesitated "Either way. Still, wouldn't you rather delay having the baby and having your partner with you?"

Dahlia considered the options before her. "No. I want to have the baby now. No delaying. Just take things as they come. Labour will take a few hours anyway, right?"

"Yes, the first stage takes on average 12 to 14 hours-"

"Then that's plenty of time for them to finish up."

"Some people have much shorter labour, especially when it's stress induced, the body just goes for it."

"Then I'll just have to deal with that when it comes." Dahlia raised her chin determinedly and the nurse simply sighed and left the room, muttering something about calling if she needed help.

_Thank god this is my first baby. Mila said first births take longer than others. There's plenty of time for Mahad to get back here. Besides, I don't want to wait longer. If the block is taken over by the sphere I might have to run. If I was still in labour then, I'd be in much more trouble and maybe have to give birth on the run, with no one at all to help me. I can do this without Mahad, if I need to. He is protecting others and I won't drag him away just because I'm scared. I won't be so selfish. _

Dahlia realised with a start that she felt...weird and also...wet?

"Nurse!" She roared, slapping the call button "I think my water just broke!"

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (5.23am) : Quadrant 34B#**

Oslo groaned and felt his mind fade into consciousness. There was a grimy coat on his tongue and he swallowed, feeling his throat twinge.

"Welcome back to the land of the living commander. Had me scared for a second there." Familiar voice. Secretary. Kiya. That was her name.

"What?"He gurgled out, his voice sounding like a death rattle.

"She hit you in the neck." His eyes snapped open. He remembered.

_**Diwan sidled into his office and he rose to his feet immediately, charging up a ball of energy**_

"_**What are you doing here?"**_

"_**Didn't you hear? I've been promoted. And you're in my seat."**_

"_**You dare challenge me? Pah! You are nowhere near my match."**_

"_**Oh no. But tell me Oslo. How are things looking? Are they getting a little blurry?" **_

"_**You..no. Drugged?"**_

_**Diwan lashed out and he barely saw her fist coming until it connected with his neck, making his windpipe tighten. He doubled over instinctively, desperately trying to draw a breath, then felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and then nothing.**_

"Diwan?" He inquired, rolling his head to look at Kiya from where he lay on a low bunk. She was sitting in a chair in front of a control console, presumably meaning that they were in a ship.

"She came back. Apparently she told the governors that you were...compromised and they gave her your position. She locked you in a cell down in the flagship, but we let you out. It all got a little...confused from there on."

"Meaning?"

"Well..." Kiya began, rubbing the bruise forming on her ankle.

* * *

><p><strong>24th December 2252 (11pm): Flagship Olympus<strong>

"Mind his head!" She snapped at Jared, who quickly lifted the limp form of Oslo higher up onto his shoulder. They reached the corner and she quickly ran around it, raising her gun. The sentry standing there didn't even have time to be surprised before she shot him. "Move faster!" She urged, speeding up into a swift jog.

The corridors down here were wide, white expanses with nowhere to hide. There were no side doors to duck into, no cover to shield them from an attack. The lift was just ahead of them, not far now...

The doors to the lift opened with a cheerful ping, revealing a squad of four armoured soldiers standing within it. Seeing her and Jared, they cried out in surprise and raised their weapons.

"Back!" Shouted Kiya, dropping into a crouch and letting off a short round of fire before following Jared. She'd hit one of them in the leg, but otherwise her shots had gone wide. Together, they ran back in the direction they'd come from to a stairwell she'd spotted before but been reluctant to use. There'd be nothing worse than getting cornered on the stairs.

"Split up, you go downstairs, I'll go up. Get him to the lower level and open the hatch. Tracy will be waiting for you, okay? I'll catch up to you." She shoved him down without waiting for his answer and he disappeared from sight.

She raced up a flight of stairs and peered over the banister, waiting for the soldiers to arrive so she could draw them away. As she'd expected, they reached the staircase, looked up through the gap, saw her looking over and immediately began to head up the stairs.

She took the steps two at a time up until the next floor, squeaking in terror as another group of soldiers approached her from that floor.

"Team 2, she's heading up, are you in position?"

"Negative, team leader-"

She heard a few scattered words from the soldier's radios as she passed them. They ran off in pursuit of her, pounding up the stairs with booming footsteps. She couldn't keep doing this. They were clearly trying to station soldiers at every floor to head her off at the exit of the stairs. The stairs were narrow and went in a rough rectangle, spiralling upwards tightly. There was a small gap in the centre where you could see all the way to the bottom. Someone could fit in that gap, jump down one floor at a time, grabbing the banister below as they fall, land for a second and continue...

_Oh hell no. That's a crazy, stupid idea._ She told herself, _There's at least a ten foot drop between floors, and if I miss I'm going to be plummeting to the bottom with no control._

A shot bounced off of the wall behind her. They were catching up. Now or never. She swung one leg over the railing that separated the metal railing from empty air, standing with her toes on the thin ledge on the other side, facing the railing and clinging to it with white knuckled hands. _One. Two. OH god! _

"You there! Stop!"

She slid herself down and backwards off of the ledge until she was hanging by her fingertips, then let go. For a second she free falled, before crashing with her feet onto the ledge bellow her, hands swinging forward to grasp the railing of the floor below. Her ankle twisted with the strain as she landed awkwardly, clutching tightly to the metal barrier in an attempt not to fall down the gap behind her.

"Turn around! She's below us!"

She repeated the task, this time landing smoother without causing herself further injury. The next time wasn't so lucky and she almost missed the landing, her feet missing the ledge and plunging into empty air. She was only saved by grabbing hold of one of the metal bars of the railing with one hand and pulling herself up and over and back onto the staircase. _No more of that. _She hauled herself to her feet and pushed herself into a sprint, finding it much easier to get a better speed now that she was heading down the stairs instead of up. Her angle burned but she ignored it and increased her speed. Two floors down there was a brig waiting for her. She ducked under it's arm as she swung around to fire at her, leaping down the next flight and only just dodging the energy blast that the brig fired after her.

She caught up with Jared as she reached the bottom floor of the ship and the ran through the narrow, pipe-filled corridors together, him lumbering along behind her due to the extra weight. Finally the reached the area they wanted; the waste disposal area. It was a high ceilinged room with a row of small chutes in the middle of the ceiling, each one suspended over an openable hatch. Kiya bolted the door behind them, hoping it would hold their pursuers for a few minutes at least. Jared put Oslo down awkwardly, huffing in appreciation of finally being free of the strain of carrying him.

"Remind me why we're saving _him_?"

She ignored his question and opened the hatch furthest to the right. Tracy sat below in a tiny four man ship, the window which usually formed the top of the cockpit wide open.

"You took ya time!" She yelled up, standing and holding her hands out. "Pass the silly bastard down here then."

Together Kiya and Jared lowered Oslo through the gap until he fell the five foot or so into the ship below like a bag of flour, his limbs splayed. Tracy uttered a muffled surprise when she failed to catch him, but soon shoved him off of her and into the back seat.

Jared sat on the edge of the gap, swinging his legs so that they dangled down, before he lowered himself carefully by both arms until he could drop safely into the other back seat. Behind Kiya, the door blasted open and a brig entered.

"Just jump!" Screeched Tracy and Kiya was happy to oblige, stepping straight off of the edge and falling into the front passenger seat. Her ankle twisted again and this time she was sure she'd sprained it from the painful twist she felt.

"Fuck me!" She snapped, clutching her leg and curling it up to inspect the damage.

"No thanks" Snickered Tracy, "I'll pass."

They sped along the length of the flagship, keeping close to it's underside for cover. The entire group, everyone in the sphere who was secretly a rebel was fleeing the flagship, but they'd try and make a quiet exit first...

Their little ship curved around and up the side of the Flagship, running into the middle of a cloud of twirling ships, all buzzing around each other like a swarm of bees. Kiya grabbed the radio microphone, pressing down on the button that allowed her to talk to the others.

"Woah guys, this is Sunshine, what the hell happened?"

"Arrow here, we messed up big time. Bonnie was onto us from the start, there were more guards than usual on the take off points. It was like she knew that we would all need to escape tonight-"

"Okay, understood. Everyone, get the hell outta here. Meet in 5 hours at the rendezvous, or in 24 hours at the second point if you can't make that checkpoint. Scram!"

Kiya hung up the radio link, nodding to Tracy. "You know where to go."

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (5.34am) 34B#**

"So that's how we ended up here. The meeting place was just a little block, uninhabited. We didn't stick around though." She shot him a grave look "Sasha's in trouble. Diwan asked me to relay orders to the captains to attack Puerto Angel."

"Have you heard from Sasha?"

"No, nothing, we've been so busy trying to avoid capture that we missed her attempts to contact us. We might give away our position if we tried to contact her now. We're already on our way to help her. Should be around half an hour until we arrive and help them"

"If they haven't been defeated already" Oslo interjected morosely.

"I don't know. But either way, she sent the message. It's U-day. Merry Christmas one and all." Kiya's lips turned upwards in a sarcastic smile before she turned back to looking out of the window. The autopilot was engaged, but she still felt like she should be paying plenty of attention to her surroundings in case the Sphere turned up.

Oslo lay back, glaring at the ceiling. _If she is hurt, I will flay the skin from Diwan's body._

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (5.34am) Puerto Angel, Flagship Olympus<strong>

Diwan paced back and forth in front of her command chair. The bridge was silent as the people surrounding her avoided her gaze. The fight was not going well, not well at all. The flagship was still not fully repaired from the damage it had suffered a month ago, something she was not responsible for. She'd shot the tactician who had been audacious enough to suggest she'd made a bad move tactically at point blank range and since then, nobody had questioned her decisions. But now, she had to acknowledge the fight was not going very well. But she had to capture these people. Now that Oslo had slipped the net she needed more people to interrogate. Every muscle and nerve within her ached to just bomb the entire block and wipe out the vermin once and for all, but she needed some of them alive.

They'd dropped light bomb shells on different areas of the block in the hope that the people would flee in terror and they'd be able to round them up like a flock of sheep, but these sheep were annoyingly stubborn. A fleet of battle ships had flown up to meet them from nowhere and each side had spent the last few hours pummelling into each other, neither gaining ground but both suffering casualties. It was time to think of a new plan, not sit here and hoping she didn't run out of troops first. Furthermore, she'd received reports from all over Skyland. The filthy insects were swarming out of the woodwork and destroying her new legacy like a plague or a pestilence.

"Order the units to regroup back to the flagship. But don't move until my command." She instructed the new lieutenant - commander, a stocky man in his thirties with a chiseled jaw. She hadn't bothered to learn his name. It was time for her to step into the ring and fight for what she wanted.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (5.37am)<strong>

"AAARGH JESUS MOTHER FU-AHH " Dahlia writhed, gripping the headboard of the bed with all of her strength. She was surprised it didn't bend.

"Breath, Dahlia, breath slowly in and-"

"Gah. I can't breath, woman I'm in too much PAIN" She finished shrilly as another contraction rocked her as violently as a ship on a stormy sea.

"Well, try. You've not got long to go now, you're towards the end of the second stage so you've gotta push soon."

"PUSH? No. Where's Mahad. I've changed my mind, I need him her right _now_."

"There's a war on honey, he's pretty busy I heard"

"I don't care! I want my fiancé here now!" Dahlia demanded, tears of pain, frustration and fear creeping from her eyes.

The nurse sighed and patted her on the shoulder before leaving the room to fetch the doctor. Before long she was back, trailing Dr Kent as he entered the room, beaming at her.

"Ah miss Shakespeare, I hear you're soon to be a mother."

Dahlia chuckled, "Could you tell from the violent screams or the whale belly?"

"Oh, from the healthy glow of a young mother that I see in your face." He replied loftily, grinning. "Your fiance might make it here after all, the Sphere have retreated back to their flagship. They're just hovering there at the moment. Rather unsettling, I must say. I asked the receptionist to call, he'll be here soon, if he can get here."

"Thank you Doctor."

"My pleasure. Now, shall we get down to it?"

Dahlia gulped "Yes, I suppose we have to."

* * *

><p>Mahad hurried down the hallway, dodging the beds that rattled past carrying the wounded and breezing around nurses carrying linen to the different wards. He reached the maternity ward and glanced around. All of the beds were empty; the hospital was small and he knew there were only two other women in Puerto Angel who were pregnant and none of them were due to have their babies yet.<p>

A shrieking curse from the room at the end of the corridor reached his ears and he smiled, making his way over to the door. There was a cheerful rainbow card on it reading 'birthing room' but the sounds emanating from beyond were far from encouraging. He knocked and entered, his presence immediately drawing the attention of those in the room.

Dahlia was propped up into a semi - seated position on the bed, her legs wide apart and between them...

"Is...is that the head?" He asked weakly, going pale. Hearing about childbirth was all very well, but seeing it in all the gory details was a little...well, sickening. Amazing, but disgusting.

"No it's a fricking melon that I stuck up there for a joke, _what do you think it is Mahad?_" Dahlia retorted, smiling faintly. She was incredibly glad he was here, but there was no way she'd tell him that. His ego was big enough as it was.

"It's...quite big." He managed to say, slowly.

"Must've inherited your big head then." She replied, reaching out her hand. "Now get up this end you strange man."

He complied eagerly, feeling distinctly better when he ignored what was going on and focused on her. He was about to be a father. The thought flashed through him like an electric current and his face was stripped of expression. He was going to be a _father_. A sharp jolt brought him back to the present as Dahlia crushed his hand in hers as she squeezed, letting out a long half squeaking noise as she pushed. Her face was adorable so squished up, even though he hated to see her in pain. The look of deep concentration on her face was even more striking though. That was his Dahlia.

"Okay, Dahlia, you're doing well, but you can slow down a little."

"Oh no, not slowing down. This baby is coming out _right now _whether it likes it or not and meeting it's father before he goes and kicks Sphere ass." Dahlia huffed, pressing further.

"Dahlia, maybe you should listen to him-"

"Shut your mouth Mahad. I am not sitting around in pain like this for any longer than is needed, thank you very much." She replied kindly, but firmly.

"Okay, now. Push right now." The nurse interrupted urgently, holding her hands out. Dahlia obeyed and the next few minutes was filled with nothing but the smell of sweat and the sound of Dahlia's moans until with a rushing, splattering whoosh.

"Yes!" Dahlia crowed, her head dropping back. "Finally." She smirked up at Mahad, "Most first mothers take ages you know."

"You must be a natural" He grinned, leaning down to kiss her long and hard before he stopped and spun around to face the doctor, terror on his face. "Why isn't the baby crying?"

"I don't think she wants to," The doctor replied and Mahad's face softened.

"She? It's a.." He stopped, having just caught sight of the tiny baby girl staring up at him from the pile of blankets the nurse was holding. The woman held out the baby slightly as she approached him and he took her awkwardly for a moment.

"Dahlia, she's...well, she's.." He had no words. He settled on the edge of the bed, holding the baby so that Dahlia could see.

"Beautiful." Dahlia finished with just the word he'd been looking for, but it still wasn't enough to describe how much joy the little infant filled him with. A son, now that would have been a fine thing to have, a playful little boy with a cheeky grin and quick wit. He'd have liked a boy. But looking at his daughter, Mahad couldn't help but feel that he couldn't care less either way. In just a second, his life split in two and reformed itself, with this little perfect being and Dahlia at the centre of his world.

"I hate to break this up, but Dahlia we're still waiting for your afterbirth to take place and, because the little girl's premature we should get her into an incubator straight away just as a precaution."

"Do you think she might get sick?" Mahad asked, worried. The baby cocked her head at him, never ceasing to look at him with her big blue eyes.

"No, I don't think so. Like I said, it's just a precaution; for a premature birth she looks surprisingly healthy and sturdy. She's a little on the small side, but that's to be expected."

"She's quite the inquisitive little thing isn't she?" remarked the nurse, smiling and holding out her finger to the baby, who grabbed it and shook it slightly before relinquishing it. "Quite a strong grip, too. She'll be a fighter, I'll be bound. She'll need a strong name, for these dark times. What are you calling her?"

Dahlia and Mahad glanced at each other, suddenly bewildered. Both had been completely convinced that the baby was going to be a boy. They'd been certain of it, to the extent that they'd referred to the baby as 'he' quite often when talking about the baby to others.

"We'll have to decide."

"I understand, it's a bit choice to make. There's a lot of meaning in a name." The nurse took the baby from Mahad's arms. "I'm just going to do all her tests, get her weighed, give her her Vitamin K injection and check her over."

"Okay, can't you do it in here?"

"There's more space in the next room. Plus that's where the scales are, and the incubator." The midwife chuckled "Don't worry, it'll only take half an hour at the most. It's just to do things like check her colour and breathing, her blood pressure. It's what we do with every baby, but premature births are even more important to ensure the baby's fine."

"I'll be conducting tests on you in here during that time, it'll be over before you know it." Doctor Kent reassured them, opening the door while the nurse left, cooing to the baby in her arms.

Mahad slumped into a chair next to the head of the bed, taking Dahlia's hand in his own. "A girl. Wow...what do we call her? Trust mum to have let us go on believing it was a boy. I always wondered why she was so against painting the nursery dark blue and getting boy's clothes."

"Well now we know," Laughed Dahlia, "But I still have no idea what to call her."

* * *

><p>Midwife Rachel Huntley hummed softly to herself as she placed the little girl on the weighing scale, clucking softly at her when she flinched at the cold metal. She reached for the little pricker that would give the baby a dose of vitamin K and tapped it gently against her foot.<p>

The baby cried out softly, looking at her in an accusatory way. She was reminded of an old song her mother used to sing to her, and as she lifted the girl up into her arms she began whispering the words quietly to herself, adding a lilting melody to themselves

"Isn't she lovely. Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she pretty? Less than one minute old.." There was a click behind her and she smiled "Come in Mr Farrell, I'm almost done. I'll just put a nappy on her and then we can leave the rest until another time, we ought to get her back to her mother for feeding-"

She turned around and frowned. There, standing in the doorway was a young slender woman. The woman smiled and she returned it uneasily.

"Hello there, you must be the midwife, I'm the godmother, would you like me to take her through to her parents? I'm sure you want to put your feet up. Stand aside." There was something ever so slightly wrong with the woman's voice.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'll take her into the room, wait her a moment and I'll tell the others-"

"Stand. _Aside._" The woman snarled and Rachel's heart skipped a beat.

"Now, I don't like that tone-" The woman pulled out a gun, attached to which there was a silencer.

"Make one sound you pathetic waste of my time and I'll shoot you _and _the baby." The woman spat, "Now stand aside or I'll blast you aside!"

"Then do it! I will not move."

"Very well" Hissed Diwan, pulling the trigger. It hit the foolish woman in the centre of her chest, blowing her off of her feet and against he wall with only a small popping noise from the gun. The woman's mouth opened, ready to shout for help so that the baby at least would be saved- with a derisive flick of her hand Diwan put another bolt of energy through her brain, this time with seijin energy.

She sauntered over to where the baby lay, changed by the nurse into a soft cotton one piece of some kind and wrapped in a fluffy cream coloured blanket. As she looked down at the small girl, she raised her hands, charging up a ball of energy in the palm of her hand _at long last, I will complete my task._

The baby girl gurgled, raising a pudgy fist of her own, then mimicked Diwan exactly. A nimbus of tiny sparks danced in the centre of her palm, then disappeared. Diwan paused, shocked at this display in a new born child. _How is this? She will be so powerful. Must be destroyed...but such a waste of what could be a valuable weapon. _Wasting no time, she picked the baby up, stifling her grumbles at being held awkwardly. She would decide later, back at the ship.

The hospital was easy to leave without detection. As she'd anticipated, the rats were trying to make the most of their temporary reprieve and get as many people treated whilst they weren't under fire. She made her way to the edge of the block, where she'd parked her ship in amongst secluded cluster of trees. Flipping her radio open, she gave off the signal for her forces to start attacking again. They would provided cover fire to aid her escape from the block and her return to the flagship, as long as she-

"Stop right there and put the baby down or I'll shoot you Diwan." A trembling voice came from behind her. Diwan rolled her head over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her attacker.

"Well well well. If it isn't Miss Pity Party come to stop me. How noble of you."

"Shut up and put the baby down or I'll shoot you."

"Shoot me in the back? I'm shocked, there's no worse pain than betrayal. Except perhaps heartbreak, but you'd know all about that wouldn't you Shannon?"

Shannon glared at her, tossing her hair back from her face. "What happened with Mahad is old news Diwan. I'm over it."

"Is that why you're trying to make him happy by saving his daughter then? To show him you're over it?" Diwan sneered. "You're still pining for him like a lost puppy."

"Put her down."

Diwan obliged, leaning down and slowly putting the child down "I'll be back to you in a moment precious, a little pest control to take care of." She murmured to the child before suddenly and without warning rising to her feet and throwing a blast of energy at Shannon, who went flying onto her back.

Diwan pushed her back down when she tried to get up by shoving a booted foot onto her chest. Leaning forwards, she leered at Shannon.

"Now, what to do with you? I could just kill you of course, that's always fun. But I think I'd rather ruin you completely. So, child murderer, any last words?"

"Fuck you!"

"I said last words, not wishes." Diwan grinned like a Cheshire cat and pulled a knife from her pocket using one gloved hand. She reached over and nicked the baby lightly on the forearm, flicking the blood on the grass and a little on Shannon's hand before putting the knife in her palm, pressing it into her fingers by putting her hands over Shannon's hand and crushing the knife into it.

"Would you like to hear a story? It's tragic, you'll love it. You see there was this girl who was so desperately in love with a man who didn't love her, that she stole the man's child by another woman and, in a fit of jealousy, killed the child and threw it's broken body off of the side of the block. Terrible tale. She realised as soon as she'd done it that she was a monster. So she wrote a confession and slit her own throat."

Viciously, diwan forced Shannon's hand up in an arc, drawing it tightly across her throat. The blood gushed out of the line and Shannon's eyes bulged in shock. "Did you like your own story?" Diwan mocked, letting go of Shannon's hand as it went slack.

"Won't get away..with it." Blood flecked onto Shannon's lips as she spoke and Diwan sniggered.

"I already did."

She stood, pulling out a piece of paper and scrawling a quick few lines. In this day and age so few people wrote with a pen that it was unlikely anyone would know what Shannon's writing looked like anyway. She folded the paper and put it on a rock next to the dying girl's head, weighting it down with a small stone.

Turning to look back only once, Diwan climbed into her ship, placing the baby on the seat next to her.

"Hush you. I'm your mummy now."

Shannon watched the ship take off, but had no energy to cry out for help. What good would it do anyway? She would be dead within a minute.

* * *

><p>"Nurse Huntley? Are you done yet?" Jerome Kent tapped on the door, frowning. It was 6.30 in the morning now, she'd had plenty of time and he wanted to get the baby to it's mother. People on the block were celebrating victory by now; the Sphere had made a short few minutes attack then retreated in the face of new reinforcements arriving from the other branches of the rebellion.<p>

"Rachel?" He asked, thumping the door now. He sighed and twisted the handle, opening the door. "Have you fallen asleep again?" He stopped and choked out a yelp of shock.

On the opposite side of the room, staring straight at him with empty eyes was Midwife Rachel Huntley, looking completely normal except for the still smoking hole straight through her head which gave off the smell of cauterized flesh. He leaned against the door and retched, not wanting to see any more. He felt somebody behind him and turned, but it was only Mahad, who ran past him without a word, searching the room.

"Where's the baby?" Mahad shouted, face horrified. There was a cry from the next room as Dahlia heard what he'd said.

"What do you mean? MAHAD? What's happened?" Her voice was two octaves above the usual level, verging on hysterical.

"She's missing" Mahad forced out. "Our baby's gone."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Oh, look at that cliffhanger. Wow, this chapter took a monumentally long time. It's 45 pages in my word processor. So you've had the big reveal! This is what I've intended Diwan to do for a very long time now. **

**Two things really quick; **

**Credits: **

**Isn't she lovely – Sung by Stevie wonder.**

"**No advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer." - George Orwell Quote**

"**Revolution is not a bed of roses" - Fidel Castro.**

"**Once the command of the air is obtained by one of the contending armies, the war becomes a conflict between a seeing host and one that is blind." - H.G. Wells**

**There's a lot of quotes that inspired this chapter and subsequent chapters, but unfortunately I can't put them all.**

**Second of all: I have tried my absolute hardest to make this as accurate as possible in the portrayal of birth; since I haven't actually even been pregnant I had to rely on medical journals and the accounts of others, so if it's innacurate i'm incredibly sorry ( I was surprised how long labour goes on for- sometimes even days) Also, you may have noticed when the signal was sent the times were swapping around. That's due to the people being in different time zones. Just thought I'd clear that one up :) Review, throw things at me, whatever. I'd love to know what you thought. I'm also taking suggestions for the little girl's name or what you think will become of her when she's in Diwan's clutches (you ALL thought it was a boy and suggested male names when I asked before, So, SURPRISE!)**


	19. Here comes the Sun

**A/N Why hello there readers, it's been a while, hasn't it? So, here is the next chapter in this long, long tale. I am especially appreciative to those who suggested baby names. They were all names that I liked, so unfortunately I had a really hard decision to make on which to use. Since all my original characters so far have had their names picked because of their meaning. So, at the end of the chapter I'm going to put the meaning of the baby's name and some of the other characters as a little explanation.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skyland, but I do own Sasha, Maria and a whole score of other OC's**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen: Here comes the sun<strong>

_**Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter  
>Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here<br>Here comes the sun  
>Here comes the sun, and I say<br>It's all right**_

_**Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces**_  
><em><strong>Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Here comes the sun<strong>_  
><em><strong>Here comes the sun, and I say<strong>_  
><em><strong>It's all right<strong>_

**( The Beatles – Here comes the Sun)**

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (6.35am)<strong>

There was a heated conversation going on around her, but for Dahlia it was as if the world was continuing to move at a rapid pace and hadn't yet noticed that it had left her standing still, trapped in the moment that Mahad had told her the baby was gone. He'd left a few moments ago, heading out the door with grief in his eyes and anger in his expression. A call had been sent out to the headquarters and Cortes had responded immediately. Maria, Wayan and Mila were all searching. Everyone was searching the block with as much speed as possible. Except her. Somehow, she couldn't summon the energy. It was as if her mind couldn't bare to move forwards, to take action. Because to move forwards, to start searching was to acknowledge that the incident had happened. That her baby girl was gone.

"Shock, it'll wear off eventually-" She heard the Doctor muttering to another, new nurse. Nurse Huntley was dead.

Realisation filtered through her brain like icy water. The lovely nurse, who had held her hand and whispered soft encouraging words was dead. She had been killed in the defence of Dahlia's daughter, who was missing now. Maybe even dead. The memory of her daughter filled her mind, blotting out everything else. Tiny, so incredibly tiny and with her father's eyes that reminded her of Mila more than anyone; they had the same tranquillity to them, rather than the mischievous nature that belonged to Mahad. Her hair had been dark blonde and wispy, in short curls on top of her head. But it was the eyes that had been most memorable, dark and expressive, as if she was seeing everything at once and understood.

Dahlia raised her eyelids slowly and looked at the room. Empty. Everyone else was out looking and she was sitting here moping. Enough was enough, she decided. Swinging her legs off of the bed, she stood and dressed quickly, then left the hospital, waving off the objections of the medical staff. She was damn well going to find her daughter. Then seriously injure whoever took her.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (6.35am) Puerto Angel Lighthouse<strong>

"Okay, I want platoon five taking the north east sector heading west across the block, two and three will take the south east and south west respectively, One in the sky and four in the north west, all meet in the centre at 07.00 hours to report any findings, make it snappy and thorough. Dismissed." The group of lieutenants saluted and left the room, their boots crashing down the stairs. Mahad turned and saluted Cortes, who shook his head and indicated that Mahad should lower his arm.

"I won't stand for formality right now Mahad. You know I viewed that little one as my grandchild and God help whoever took her. Because I'm going to hang, draw and quarter them when I get my hands on them." The old Captain and now brigadier's mouth was formed into a thin line and Mahad didn't doubt a single word he'd said.

"Thank you sir. That means a lot." Mahad managed to choke out, barely containing his anxiety. Neither man said anything as they waited for Sasha to come upstairs from the control room outside. It only took a few minutes before she stormed into the room, her face furious.

"Who could have taken the girl?" She began, ignoring the various salutes the room's occupants were giving "None of the ships landed-"

"And so the conclusion must be that whoever took her was already upon the block-" The vector piped up, stepping forwards with a half eaten croissant in his hands.

"Are you eating at a time like this?" Sasha exclaimed, eyebrows raising "We have an abducted child to be looking for! For shame man, you're on duty!"

"I don't see how starving myself will allow Mahad's offspring to be found quicker. Sustenance stimulates brain function and brain function will allow me to deduce where the child has been taken to and who by-"

"ENOUGH!" Cortes roared over the bickering pair. "Sasha, we need the reinforcements to land, any doctors on board to go to the hospital immediately and help with the injured. We need men to put out the fires, rescue people from collapsed houses and help look for the baby. Both of you get your heads in the game or so help me I will force you to."

"You're out of line, Brigadier." Sasha snarled, her face darkening. "If you didn't have a valid point and if this wasn't a stressful circumstance then I'd demote you on the spot for undermining my authority."

"If there was anyone else who could do the job, you'd have already demoted me for undermining your authority" Cortes retorted and Sasha laughed unexpectedly, running a hand through her frizzy hair.

"True enough. You don't like taking orders after so long of being in command, do you Cortes? Anyway, as it happens I have already ordered the reinforcements to land and divided their duties up. Orion and Sunshine will be with us in just a moment after they have given out their orders."

"General-"

"Yes, Mahad, you will be relieved of duty so that you can join the search for your daughter." Sasha's expression softened imperceptibly "I hope you find her."

"Thank you Ma'am." Mahad saluted hurriedly, before leaving the circular room and pounding down the lighthouse's winding staircase.

His fingers fumbled with the radio attached to his shoulder, dragging it loose "Platoon leaders report, any updates on the status of the Misper?"

"Plat one, nothing to report sir, the air"

"This is two, in position but negative on the WJA, proceeding as ordered"

"Copy, all of you carry on, I'm heading up in the Helios, see what I can see."

"Roger that Sir, One out."

Mahad clipped the radio back onto his epaulette and pushed the lighthouse door open, heading towards his ship that was hovering expectantly on the grass nearby. However, as his eyes raked over his surroundings he froze and whipped out his boomerang.

"Stop right there!"

The figure stopped, raising one eyebrow at it's companion before turning back to him "Is this really necessary Farrell? Only we are currently in the middle of a war and I'm in a hurry."

"Shut up Oslo. Where is she? And while we're at it, why the hell are you here?"

The man's expression changed and Mahad was gleeful that for once it appeared blank not because the commander was making it blank, but because the man was genuinely surprised. "Who are we talking about?"

"My daughter you monster. My Missing daughter. Funny how you turn up here right now just as she goes missing, isn't it? But then you have quite the habit of kidnapping people. Don't think I've forgotten how you were planning to kidnap my little sister, do you have a thing for little girls Oslo? Is that what makes you-"

"Silence your incessant drivel. I am here to help Sasha. I did not even know that you had spawned what will no doubt turn out to be a _delightful_ little version of yourself, besides which I would have no interest in such a child."

"She might be a Seijin." Countered Mahad "You might want her for your academy."

"It is possible. But seijin powers do not show until a child is sufficiently developed. The earliest they have been recorded are at the age of 5." A smug tone had crept into Oslo's voice as he spoke and Mahad was under no doubt who had been that early starter. "So I wouldn't bother stealing a child just on the off chance that it would in five years time _possibly_ show some aptitude. On a further note, the academy is now null and I am no longer the leader of the Sphere."

"Why?"

"I resigned and joined the rebellion."

For a moment Mahad's face was a carefully controlled blank page before slowly, like a wave rolling into a bay the laughter began. It wasn't that funny, but the tension within him snapped like a thread and then he was roaring with laughter to the point of crying, barely even registering that Oslo and the woman with him had left.

_Oslo? A rebel? Oh, I wish I could see Cortes' face when he hears that one_ Mahad sobered _but I can't, more important things to do. I'll just have to hope that Cortes punches the guy for me._

The Helios lounged patiently in the first rays of early morning sunshine as if waiting for him. The engine hummed as he approached and the window over the cockpit slid back at his touch, inviting him in. He missed the Hyperion in a sentimental way; the old ship had been patchy, almost home-made compared to the sleek design of the Helios. There was also the fact that the Hyperion had been his fathers and when he had sat in it's cockpit he had always felt closer to Marcus, who had imprinted his personality onto the ship like a maker's mark. The Helios was beautiful and he loved it, loved the fact that it was truly his. But he couldn't help but feel sorry that he could no longer sit in the pilots seat and fantasize how Marcus had once sat here, doing the same thing. Because this ship, this technological wonder, had none of Marcus' essence.

He looked around at the interior of his ship one last time before lift off. _Identical and yet not the same. _He thought morosely before shaking his head firmly. _Damn I'm getting sentimental. Must be the war that we just started. Gets me thinking._

The Helios cruised through the air above the block, A computer screen in the middle of the control board showing a birds eye view of the block below whilst the radio crackled and spewed out information.

"_We're getting absolutely battered here in Ta'Li, the Sphere are hitting us with all they've got-"_

"_Ningxia is secure but on high alert for any incoming attacks, sending reinforcements to-"_

"_Lewis here, the situation in Brazília is bad, we're pinned down outside the-"_

Mahad frowned. That particular voice had been familiar. He tuned into the frequency. _"-town hall. We've got blues all around, taken cover behind the fountain. Immediate back up required, Men down two dead, the beta team are pushing forwards on the west side towards the bridge, but unless we secure the hall the air raids won't stop. Totally FUBAR and that is not an exaggeration."_

Mahad grinned suddenly. He _did_ know that voice. Alice. Well, if ever he was grateful for helping her see the reality of the Sphere, it was right now. Although by the sound of it she was in reached for the radio link but stopped. He could hardly catch up on old times right now, the lines needed to be kept clear. She had her job, he had his. Guiltily, Mahad swapped back to the local radio line his team were all on. A private link appeared as someone tried to contact him.

"-gotta 10-56 down in the wood, south by south east, there's a note...Captain Farrell, Respond immediately."

"Farrell here give me your 20."

"Sending you the coordinates sir." The man, by the sound of it the leader of platoon 2 sighed over the radio. "You may want to brace yourself Cap'n. This isn't pretty and – well there's a possible the 57 is now a 54."

Mahad gripped the joystick and shoved the Helios into maximum speed, streaking across the block towards the small cluster of trees. They'd taken to using old police codes to simplify things on radios for speed and efficiency. 10-20 was give me your location. A 10-56 was a suicide. A 10-57 was a missing person. 10-54 was a possible dead body. The man had just told him his daughter could be dead by spewing out some numbers like a cold calculator. If the situation wasn't so dire and he wasn't so panicked he'd be berating the man for being so tactless, although really he was probably just trying to make the message easier by not actually saying it. Saying it was acknowledging the fact that his baby might be dead. So Mahad settled for hurrying to the location, the Helios knocking the top off of one unfortunate tree as it hissed through the sky as low as possible. There was a clearing, not big enough for the Helios to land, so he set it to hovering just over the trees before climbing into the inside of the ship. Within the hold, he opened up a trapdoor in the bottom of the ship's hull so that the clearing was visible 20 foot or so below. He could probably survive a jump like that, but he didn't feel like attempting it, so instead lowered the rope ladder that was attached to the wall nearby and clambered down. A group of men were gathered on the treeline, gazing at him and the clearing with pity.

Mahad had ignored the sight as he passed over it, but now, when the iron tang of blood filled his mouth and nose he couldn't. The ground sloped downwards towards the craggy edge of the block and a few metres from the edge was a sight he had never dreamt to behold.

The body was spread eagled with the legs curled underneath, blood soaked around the neck of it's shirt in a macabre necklace. One hand was flung outwards, pointing towards a rock on which something had been scrawled in blood. 4573. The uneven ground had caused the blood to pool around the rock and the grass around it was consequently a dark rusty hue. But the most terrible part was the face. Because he saw that face every day. Shannon.

"You said she left a note?"

"Yes. Unfortunately," The Lieutenant paused here to scowl at one of the distant soldiers "Corporal Jones over there is a half wit and picked up and read the paper from on the rock when he came across the scene. Fortunately he had no time to touch anything else on account of my giving him a swift bop over the head. The rest should be uncontaminated. I've called it in to HQ, they're sending down a forensics team as soon as they can get a clear route through the streets."

Mahad held his hand out wordlessly and the Lieutenant dropped a small square of paper into his hand before withdrawing as silently as possible, ushering the others out of the clearing. Dread welled up within him as he turned the paper over, desperate to know why there would be a link between Shannon committing suicide and his baby.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just couldn't watch him with her. So I took the baby and I don't know why. You won't find the body. I threw it off the side. It looked too much like him. Knew what I'd done as soon as it stopped breathing. So I'm killing myself. Can't forget her eyes. She was so small._

Mahad gritted his teeth together, the paper screwing into a ball underneath his hands. The last lines of the note burned in his mind, even when he closed his eyes the words were seared there on the inside of his eyelids.

_**She didn't even cry when I slit her throat. Now maybe he'll see. Mahad will see that he should never have slept with that Pirate whore instead of being with me. He will regret rejecting me. Love for him made me do it. Hate for myself makes me confess.**_

A low sound escaped him and he tossed away the note. It fluttered onto Shannon's chest unnoticed by him. His lips moved, tried to speak and he gave up. _ALL YOUR FAULT_ his mind screamed, while another part of him wept for the death of his daughter. A large part of him wanted to fall to his knees. An even larger part of him wanted to kill something. Anything. But the largest part of him took over, guided him away from the scene. His rational side drew him away to a distance of ten feet out of sight of the scene and to a place where he couldn't contaminate any evidence, then promptly allowed the other parts to take over. Mahad's knees shook and he crumbled gently against the trunk of a tree, staring out at the edge of the block. _Your fault, dead all your fault, didn't have a __name, your fault, not even an hour old, healthy beautiful baby girl no name all your fault you __caused this you didn't even realise her obsession Dahlia warned you and you laughed it off. All __because you're an idiot, all your fault._

His brain chattered incessantly, running in circles and always coming back to that one thought. His fingers had found their way to a hip flask of alcohol that he'd been carrying around since he'd made Captain. Wayan had given it to him as a joke - "You're a Captain now, gotta be fierce and take a swig from it every now and then when the battle gets tough. Even if you don't, your men will sure appreciate you sharing a little with them" was what he'd said, referring to some of the old war films they'd seen together, which always seemed to have at least one commanding officer like that in each film. Wisecracking, sharp shooting and alcohol swiggin' as Maria had put it.

Looking down at the silvery sheen of it, knowing it was completely full Mahad ran his fingers over the lid before stopping when he reread the engraving on the flask. _Courage_. His fingers stilled on the stopper and then slowly felt the word. _Courage_. Somewhere out there was Wayan – possibly injured. Maria too; he hadn't heard from either of them since earlier. They probably didn't even realise the baby was missing, let alone – Dahlia. Dahlia didn't know yet. She would be waiting. No, actually, knowing her she would have given her doctors the slip or cursed her mouth off until they let her go and join in with the search. He would have to find her and tell her.

The sun was peeking over the horizon. Christmas day and for less than an hour he had had the best present he'd ever received. It wasn't this messed world that had stolen her. She hadn't been a casualty of war like he'd dreaded her or Dahlia becoming. A messed up person had done it. A deranged, obsessive person. Watching the beautiful sunrise, Mahad was hit by an epiphany like a bowling ball slamming into a set of skittles. It wasn't the world that was messed up, it was the people. The Earth had changed, granted. But it wasn't the shattering that made the world so terrible. It was still a beautiful place, the sun shone and the moon rose in the sky. The seasons changed. It was the people that never changed. That never could change. Shannon had been one of those people. Self obsessed, hateful and spiteful. There were hundreds more out there. Thousands. Every day they sought to further their own ends and in doing so hurt those around them. They hurt his daughter, who was beautiful and pure in a world of people who were twisted and sadistic. They would continue hurting.

Mahad stood, ready to return to Dahlia with the news, but first raised the flask towards the horizon.

"Emma Carmitt Farrell, Daddy loves you" He murmured, holding back the moisture gathering in his eyes before upending the flask over the side of the block, letting the liquid spiral downwards. "Here's to you baby girl. I hope you like your name. A completely beautiful fighter. I promise that I'll never think of giving up again."

The flask ran dry and Mahad put it back into his inside pocket, vowing never to be so self pitying that he would consider drowning his sorrows in drink. Little Emmie deserved better than that.

As he strode back through the clearing towards the ladder, he beckoned the Lieutenant over.

"Sir, me and the lads-"

"Save the condolences soldier. This is a crime scene, set up a cordon of sorts and put a guard there and at the edge of the trees to make sure nobody blunders through it. Let the scientists do their thing and then let the ambulance take the body to the morgue. There are three squads in this platoon, yes?"

"Yessir, that's correct."

"Okay, the first remains here with their sergeant until it's all packed up. The sergeants of second and third should radio into command and get jobs designated, in the mean time they should head onto the local streets and help with building rescue and clearing the streets. You'll oversee them in this, then return here once each team has been given suitable jobs and make sure that this whole mess is wrapped up. After that, do whatever the hell you want. It's your platoon."

"Yes sir, but all the platoon is part of your company, so it's technically yours." The man called after him.

Mahad had already turned back to the ladder and was climbing determinedly. He would find Dahlia, comfort her, then go to the HQ and inform the others. Cortes deserved to know, Maria too. She was meant to be Emma's godmother after all. Sasha, though he respected her tentatively as his commanding officer, was sometimes much too cold for his liking. It was necessary for the person at the top to keep a cool head, certainly. But how Maria had described her – a compassionate woman who would do anything for her anyone, didn't quite fit. Not to his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (7am) Puerto Angel<strong>

Lena rolled her shoulders experimentally and they twinged. Ignoring it, she picked away at the roof tiles and bricks that had slid into the street. The people who had been within this house's basement were safe, luckily. The bomb hadn't been a direct hit and had hit the house two down, rattling the roofs of the houses around it, which were thankfully empty. They belonged to some of the Nazaire's crew, whom had been on duty at the time of the raid.

Her mother was sitting nearby, fast asleep against the side of the building. Lena didn't begrudge her it though; they were all exhausted and Mila had been one of the hardest workers during the raid. Lena had been forced down into a cellar whilst the bombs fell, but Mila had stayed out on the streets with the medical crews, helping getting people on stretchers to the hospital. Lena was proud to have such bravery in her family, but dismayed that everyone who mattered to her all seemed to be such daredevils. Someday, their luck was going to run out.

Mila stirred, whispering as her eyelids flickered and rolled. She was clearly having a vivid dream, but probably not a nightmare. She was smiling in her sleep. Lena turned back to her work, grinning at Cheng, who was further down the street working on the house that had been hit. The interior of the house was open to the elements, the second floor bulging downwards as if ready to collapse. Cheng was taking some sort of scan of the house for structural damage, scowling and hitting his handheld computer as the screen fuzzed. He looked up suddenly and caught her eye, turning and waving at her with an awkward half laugh. Lena waved back cheerfully, movement catching her eye.

"CHENG!" She screeched and Mila shuddered awake, smiling sleepily.

"Lena, be quiet it's too early for presents..."

But Lena was off and running over to Cheng, who'd just been hit in the arm by a falling brick. He looked fine, just bruised but she wanted to make him come away from the house before more fell. Knowing Cheng, he'd think this was another of his videogames and want to prove himself by staying there.

"Come away, Cheng it's quite clear without the scan that the building isn't safe." She took his arm but he pulled it away with a frown.

"I'll be fine, it's only grazed me a little."

"Don't be stupid Cheng. If you hadn't sidestepped when I shouted that thing would have brained you."

"But it didn't." He retorted stubbornly, looking down at her. _He really is growing quite a bit now. It's irritating, I'm the mature one and yet he gets to look down on me _Lena thought churlishly.

"But it could have, come on, just a few step backs won't hurt you."

"Would you say the same to Lee?"

"What? No, of course not he's-"

"Braver?"

"No of course not-"

"Smarter?"

"No, but th-"

"You like him though, don't you?"

Lena ran a hand through her hair and put the other on her hip in frustration. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired of everyone thinking they can order me around because I'm little. I'm just as brave as them. I'm smarter than a lot of them. But I don't get treated as an equal. I sure as hell don't get-" _you. _He finished mentally, but managed to stop his traitorous mouth in time. Lena raised an eyebrow, waiting. When he didn't say anything else she just walked away back to her job, hands raised over her head in defeat.

_If I don't get over this crush soon, this is not going to be good. _He thought despondently, _I just shouted at my best friend and she doesn't even know why. I've only been thirteen for a little while, but I think I already hate being a teenager. It was so much simpler when I was a kid playing in the sand pit, not chasing girls. Or rather, attempting to._

Lena huffed and nudged her mother, who was sitting where Lena had left her, yawning. Flopping down next to Mila, Lena crossed her arms and was surprised when Mila suddenly flung her arms around her.

"Ouch, Mum, thanks for the hug and you know I love you, but you're gripping me a little too- okay, that's better" Lena smiled as her mother loosened her grip a little and felt a chuckle tickling her ear.

"Boy trouble?"

"Guess so. Cheng's been acting really moody lately." Lena lamented, shrugging. "I think he's upset because of U-day arriving, but he's been like it for a while, so I don't know."

"You'll figure it out." Mila soothed her, adding _And when you do I hope you don't break that little boys heart of Gold_ mentally. "I have news though. The baby's been born."

"Huh? That's great! How do you-"

"I just know, honey." Mila smiled blandly, but Lena wasn't taken in.

"It didn't have anything to do with your dream did it?" Mila's face didn't change as she replied.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, shall we go? I expect Dahlia will still be at the hospital, waiting for us with your niece...oh woops." Mila clapped a hand to her mouth, eyes bugging out.

"It's a girl! YES!" Lena punched the air, scrambling to her feet. "When she gets older I'm going to plait her hair and-"

Lena continued nattering on and Mila smiled, congratulating herself on successfully distracting her daughter, who was speculating on what the baby would look like. Mila smiled. _Blonde hair and blue eyed, a cute little nose that had a slight upwards point at the end. High cheekbones and tiny delicate ears, like a nymph. _Mila sighed contentedly in the knowledge that her grandchild was beautiful. _If Marcus was here..._ She stopped that train of thought in it's tracks, forcibly shoving it away from her consciousness. _I will not grieve when I should be overjoyed._

The hospital loomed in the distance, miraculously undamaged by the air attack from earlier, but one look supplied the mind immediately with the knowledge that this was a war zone. The walking wounded were being helped into the hospital or treated at small tables set up outside under the shelter of portable tents that fluttered in the wind. There was a long, white tent running alongside the others, it's entrance conspicuously shut, unlike all the other tents that were wide open, with doctors scuttling back and forth. As Lena watched, a stretcher bearing a white shrouded body was carried through into the white tent. Within the split second that they passed the tent, Lena's eyes caught the meticulously neat line of white shrouded forms that were arranged within the tent. A squeeze on her hand from Mila drew her attention away; when she looked back the tent's entrance had blown shut again.

"The morgue must be full already." Murmured Mila, drawing her daughter away from the accursed place where the bodies lay.

"Isn't there somewhere we could put them" Lena urged, tears beginning to brim up. "It seems disrespectful to just dump them there, like they're no use to us anymore so we needn't bother."

"It isn't that, Lena. It's that we're no use to them. They are gone, the other people, the injured aren't. We'll give them proper burials, they will be remembered and we'll mourn. But now we have a duty to save as many of those who still can be saved, the dead can wait. The living can't."

Lena nodded, seeing the reasoning but her mind still rebelled against it, wanting to run into that tent and find out who was beneath those crisp linen sheets. Mahad? Wayan? Cortes? A thousand possibilities, faces of those who she had seen every day but never got to know and now might never know, were fixed in her mind and suddenly she wanted nothing better than to scream, or to do something, _anything_ to change the time back to before the attack and warn them, hide them all. To hell with fighting the Sphere, couldn't they just _live_ and be content?

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we might have won, by fearing to attempt." Mila recited wistfully to herself, glancing sideways at her daughter. "Your father used to say that sometimes when we'd had a particularly bad battle." _And then he'd act surly for days, inwardly mourning the men he'd sent to their deaths._

"It's beautiful. Was dad smart?"

"He used what he had to do the best he could." Mila admitted, shrugging "He was no genius, but he had a common sense and love for his men that was worth any amount of genius."

"Do you think he's still alive?"

"Yes, darling. I'm sure of it." Mila held the door for the maternity ward open for her daughter to scurry through. Lena had a pensive look on her face and was silent for a few seconds.

"Is it like they say? Like you somehow know he's still alive?"

Mila snorted with laughter and wrapped one arm around her daughter. "Partly. But mainly because if the Sphere _had _got to him, there's no way Oslo would have kept quiet about it. A capture of the infamous Marcus Farrell would dishearten any remaining rebels, so trust me Lena; if the sphere had caught your father the execution would have been as public as possible to ridicule and degrade him." She looked Lena in the eyes and smiled "But there's never been any report of them capturing him, has there?"

They both chuckled, rounding the corner and heading to the nurse's station. Two doctors were standing there in hushed discussion and peering over the shoulder of a security man seated at the computer terminal. Mila cleared her throat and they all glanced up simultaneously, their sombre faces wiping the remnants of the smile from Mila's face.

"Something has gone wrong, hasn't it?" Lena stated grimly.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 (7am) Puerto Angel Lighthouse<strong>

Oslo rolled his jaw experimentally, grimacing at the sharp pain that twinged in his face at the simple action. The closed door to the bathroom where he was currently cleaning the blood off of his face did nothing to muffle the argument going on in the room next door.

"_Get a handle on yourself Cortes-"_

"_Stinking son of a-"_

"_You are talking about your fellow officer brigadier, so you'll damn well shut your-"_

"_Fellow officer my arse, that guys a back-stabbing smooth talking piece of shite!"_

A sharp smacking sound hit his ears and he sighed, thinking that this was just as good a time as any to re-enter the main room. His nose would need setting later from where the good captain _now brigadier_, he reminded himself, had smashed it across his face on sight. _ Not a wonderful start to our new relationship, but I expected no less from a Scottish drifter who couldn't win a war if he was __the only side in possession of weapons. Why Sasha promoted the buffoon I have no idea..._

The click of the door behind him alerted the room to his arrival and he was morbidly amused to see that all but one of the pirates hands shifted to their guns. The one who didn't, a black man standing in the corner with his arms folded, settled for shifting into a more defensive stance and staring straight at Oslo challengingly. _Interesting._

"Oh wonderful. He's back." Cortes grunted, rubbing the left side of his face, which was a blotchy red. Sasha nodded at Oslo then walked to the middle of the room, taking a firm stance with her arms clasped behind her back.

"As I was first saying before the brigadier here had a little anger management issue, I would like to introduce our agents who have been organising our sphere defectors since I left the Sphere. So, I would like to introduce my two second in commands, Orion-"She pointed to Oslo then broke off.

Muttering had broken out around the room when she indicated who Orion really was, the pirates shifting around suspiciously, some openly muttering their disbelief. A few chuckles filtered through the air.

"Who I'm sure you are all familiar with as the former commander of the Sphere."

"Yes, _general_, which is why we were all wondering why the man who spend years hounding us is now supposedly on our side." Cortes spat at Sasha, who resolutely did not flinch.

"Whilst I was the commander, it was not my decision what the orders were. They came from above me." Oslo stated mildly, straightening his cuffs "I did not make the laws. I merely enforced them. That does not mean I saw any sense in them or agreed with them."

"You seemed pretty happy to kidnap and experiment on Mila." The man from the corner called out, drawing Oslo's attention back to him. _This man is no idiot. I should tread carefully around him. _

"It is the law that all seijins should be under Sphere command. I could not allow her to remain a rogue element."

Sasha held up her hands for silence before continuing. "The point is, Cortes, that Oslo is now on our side and reports directly to me. You _will_ follow his orders, whatever past grievances you possess. Which goes for everything here. Lieutenant General Oslo gives an order, you follow it. That will be all. Back to your regular duties. Colonel, Brigadier in my office. I'm sure you'll want to talk to me in private. Meanwhile, Orion has the command, make sure everyone is introduced to sunshine and things run smoothly in my absence."

* * *

><p>Almost as soon as the door shut behind him, Cortes was opening his mouth to argue. "Oslo? For the love of god Sasha, when you picked two people that you'd have to trust implicitly, did it have to be Oslo? The man is a complete-"<p>

Sasha sank into her seat, tuning out Cortes' voice but making sure she kept eye contact with him. It wouldn't do for him to realise that she wasn't listening. There would be no point for her to listen anyway; in any discussion the man would gripe for a few minutes, then dissolve into murderous growls before grudgingly beginning to actually discuss matters. _Still, he has a point. Why of all people did it have to be Oslo? The only reason is because I fell for the guy for reasons unknown. Seriously, cupid must have been laughing his arse off when he shot that arrow._

"-So please, just tell me and I'll try to accept it. Help me understand." Cortes finished, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oslo held a significant influence over the willingness of people to leave the Sphere. He was a respected guardian and some would follow his move out of sheer devotion. Others, who may have wanted to join the rebels but were afraid of Oslo would also be more willing to come to our side. We take in one slightly dodgy bastard, keep him close under my eye and gain several hundred, possibly thousand new followers."

"Some of whom are cowards, if they're only on this side because they think whoever has Oslo has a better chance."

"Well as the saying goes Brigadier, 'better inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in'."

Wayan let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh "I've never heard that one before Ma'am and I've heard a lot of sayings."

The trio shared a fleeting smile that lapsed into a contemplative silence. Eventually, Cortes broke it once more.

"If that's all, then we all ought to be getting on with helping Mahad and finding the baby. Wayan, you get out into the field and update me on what's going on, I'll stay here and monitor the communications-"

"I'm going to go out too, Maria and I would be able to cover a lot of ground quickly together-"

A knock on the door interrupted Sasha and she waited for the person to enter. The vector slowly eased around the door so that he was halfway into the small room. Sasha's office was actually an old store cupboard and so measured a stingy 7 feet wide and 7 across. At times like this when the room was overcrowded when there were only 3 people in it, Sasha longed for her spacious office back on the _Olympus_.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Mahad has been here the past few minutes, Mila and Lena are approaching up the hill right now and we have no idea where Dahlia is."

"She's right behind you." A voice called from beyond the door. "I just got here. Now why don't you tell me why you're sitting in there having a little coffee break while my daughter is missing?"

Sasha waved her hands, indicating they should all follow her out of the room. The observation deck of the lighthouse was now thankfully empty except for Mahad and Maria. There was something a little off about Mahad's expression, almost like he'd grown a few years in the space of an hour. _The stress must be getting to him_.

"Right, so Mahad needs to get out into the skies along with Maria, Cortes and Wayan can organise the ground based searches-"

"Dahlia, stop-"

"Don't be ridiculous Mahad, we can't sit here moping while our daughter is out there-"

"What's going on? We went to the hospital and-"

"Hello, Lena, now would you please just-"

"Mila, can you and Lena help with the search? We'll need everyone we can get-" Dahlia cut Mahad off again, too intent on her purpose to notice his expression. But Mila had.

"There's no need, Dahlia. No, listen to me," Mila stated firmly "There's no need because she's already been found, hasn't she Mahad." The older Seijin's voice was surprisingly calm, with barely a tremble giving her away. All eyes in the room turned to Mahad, who swallowed thickly and spoke the words none of them had wanted to hear.

"Yes. The person who took her...well they...killed her."

"No. Who would do that" Dahlia shook her head, tears starting to well up in her eyes until she wiped them away. "She was just a baby, why would they do that?"

"Because they were upset and not in their right mind."

"Then who was it? Where's the body?" Dahlia's voice was rising to an almost hysterical pitch as she paced in erratic lines in front of the window. It was clear to all that were watching that she was going into denial, her mind desperately searching for an explanation where her first child wasn't dead.

"They threw..they threw the body over the side of the block." Dahlia moaned gently, "And it was Shannon."

The name seemed to instil a reaction in Dahlia, who ceased her pacing and looked up, her face pinched with grief as she finally accepted what had happened. "Where is she now?"

"I just-"

"Shannon, not the baby."

"Well, uhm, she's dead too. Suicide."

"Just as well. I think if I ever saw her again I'd rip her heart right out." Dahlia murmured, turning towards the door. "I need to clear my head."

Every step that she took felt like an eternity, every breath laboured to enter her lungs as she lumbered through the doorway and down the stairs. Since she left the hospital she'd been flying on a mixture of adrenaline and panic; now all of that was gone and several parts of her body were waving a white flag and begging for a reprieve. The stairs proved too much, so she slid down to sit down on one, her back against the wall and her legs folded underneath her chin. People would no doubt complain that she was in the way sooner or later, but right now she didn't give a damn. They could step over her for all she cared. _I never even got to hold her._ The thought triggered the tears that had been waiting, the moisture surging over her cheeks and warming the cold skin with salty sorrow.

Perhaps a minute or maybe ten later, footsteps approached up the stairs towards her. Two people, one of whom ignored her and leapt over her, planting his foot on the step above the one she was sitting and continuing up the stairs. The other squatted down before her and sighed.

"Come here my little flower, you shouldn't be crying" Warm arms encircled her, but she didn't fight them like she normally would if just anyone had hugged her. A prickly person by nature, she wasn't the type of person to hug anyone. Only people who knew her well. But this person felt familiar, smelt familiar. The voice echoed back into her memory, stirring the pools of thought into a frenzy. Dahlia leaned back, scrutinising the woman. It was the woman from the computer screen, the one who'd wondered if Dahlia remembered her.

"Have you placed me yet, little sister? My face can't surely have changed that much in eight years?"

It was the woman calling her little sister that did it. "Kiya. We always thought..."

"That I was dead, captured or turned traitor. Yeah, I know. Wayan'll be surprised as hell though, I'll bet. He never thought I had it in me to go undercover."

"You were never the subtle sort. Still, I see from the pips on your shoulders that you're a lieutenant-general these days. Must have paid off."

"I made it all the way up to Oslo's personal secretary, but over the years communication tightened so far...I just couldn't get messages through to you any more. But stop trying to distract me. What's happened to _you_?"

"Had a baby. She was taken from me and now she's dead."

"What do you need?" Kiya prompted.

"I need my dad." Whispered Dahlia and Kiya nodded sympathetically.

"I'll help you back upstairs and then I'll go and get him, okay?"

Dahlia nodded absently and allowed Kiya to help her upstairs one step at a time. Wayan cried out in surprise as they entered the room, but Kiya waved him off until she'd managed to get Dahlia settled in a chair. As soon as she had, he pulled her into a back breaking hug, squeezing her until she almost choked.

"7 years and not a word? Kiya, where have you-"

"You know each other?" Sasha questioned, before her mouth formed a small O of realisation, "Guessing this was the 'personal reason' for you helping me then, Kiya?"

"Yeah, I'll let my _brother_" she emphasized, watching Maria relax with a smirk "explain the rest to you, but now I have to go find George."

She left the room and the inhabitants immediately clustered around Dahlia and Mahad, sharing hugs and tears, except for Sasha and Oslo. The general jerked her head and her partner nodded in understanding. Nobody noticed as they left the room.

* * *

><p>Sasha meticulously locked the door before reaching out her arms to Oslo, who pulled her to him for a brief moment. She let go first, knowing that this wasn't the time to catch up. Thankfully, he understood.<p>

"I want you to cover this case, tie up all the loose ends and get it sorted out."

"Wouldn't Kiya be better? I'm sure the Farrells won't appreciate me poking around in such a sensitive matter."

"She's clearly a friend of the family, so unfortunately she can't. Besides, you need to endear yourself to the people here and well..."

He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, sitting down heavily on the edge of her desk. "This doesn't make any sense."

"The girl was clearly deluded."

"Hmm. She seemed perfectly sound of mind to me when I saw her this morning. Then again, it could have been an act. Even so..."

"Clearly you have something to say Sasha, so stop beating around the bush and tell me."

"You'll think it's coincidence and I'm going mad. But the initial report has come through and well..She left a note, all neat and tidy. But then she writes a four letter code on a rock in her own blood? Why? If it was that important why wasn't it in the note? What does it mean? The other thing is...well, the kidnapping took place around the time that the attacks from the Sphere ceased and the killing just before the Sphere left."

"What's your point?"

"There's no body, couldn't there be some _slight _possibility that while we were busy tending to wounded and celebrating their retreat, someone landed and took the baby?"

"It is possible, I'll grant you that. But why take a baby? Besides which," He continued, flicking through the file he'd been given "The fingerprints on the knife are a match for Shannon, so it is clearly a suicide. The blood on the knife belongs to her and the baby. No other traces, the ground was hard so there's no way of getting footprints, no hair fibres at the scene."

"You think I'm being too optimistic?"

His expression softened slightly "I think you're hoping that something terrible hasn't happened. I doubt that there is anything more to the case than meets the eyes, but rest assured I'll look through the entire file."

"Thank you, Oslo. I knew I could rely on you to do a thorough job. If something odd is going on, you'll be the one to find it." Sasha smiled, resting her hand on his for a few seconds. A knock on the door startled them both, hands whipping away from each other.

"I'll see you later." She promised quietly, before calling for the person to come in. Oslo got up and left, nodding to Cortes as he passed, intent on reading through the entire file and getting the trivial matter out of the way as soon as possible before getting back to the fight that was still raging across Skyland. The Sphere may have lost the battle here, but they were far from defeated.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 : Brazília<strong>

"Lewis here, the situation in Brazília is bad, we're pinned outside the town hall next to the fountain. Ten men are down, we need backup to the whole area. The Sphere are defending the bridge to the airdock and have set up barricades along the front of the town hall." Alice wiped the sweat off her brow, peering over the rim of the fountain at the roof of the Majestic building across the square. Rubble exploded near her face as bullets clipped the masonry again. Luckily, her partner yanked her back just in time.

"Keen on getting yourself killed boss?" Arrow grinned at her, teeth surprisingly white against his grime-streaked skin. "There's much better things you can do with you time, trust me."

"Mickey, how many guns do you count? I'm only seeing the short ranges on the street and the machine gun on the top of the house."

"Yep, I'd say that's about right. Want me to draw fire? If you could get to the alley, you could break into one of the houses and get a clear shot from the roof?"

"Okay, but be careful and-"

"Don't get shot? Yeah, thanks for that boss. Doesn't take genius." He winked, then held up three fingers, slowing pulling them down before springing up and running in one direction, bullets pinging off of the ground beside him. She didn't allow her self to continue watching, hauling herself up and sprinting for the alleyway he'd indicated, skidding to a halt only when she was behind cover.

"Mickey? You okay? Mickey?" The radio spluttered back static at her. _Damn. Signal Jammer. The Sphere must have worked out our frequency._

She tucked the radio back onto her waist band, raising a foot to kick in the door of the house nearest to her. It took several hits before the wood gave in, her foot tingling with the pain. A voice inside the house screamed and a woman disappeared around the corner clutching her children. It was an apartment building, a staircase lay invitingly to one side and Alice thundered up it in her heavy boots, almost slipping over in her haste. The Sphere camped out in the town hall would probably send brigs to investigate where she'd gone and stop her. _They'd hardly risk coming after me themselves._ She thought, eyes narrowing. _I can't wait until this fights over and I'm in bed._

She reached the door to the roof, shooting an energy bolt from her gun into the flimsy lock, opening the door and sliding through quickly before crouching. The building was several stories taller than the town hall, separated from it by only twenty feet. _That's still twenty feet of open air, and perhaps a ten foot drop. I could probably take the gun out with an energy blast from here, but then..._

Alice glanced down at the courtyard of the town hall. If she could take control of the gun rather than destroy it, she'd be able to hit the sphere agents in the courtyard below. _Like shooting fish in a barrel._ She thought queasily, before backing up a few steps and preparing to jump. If she could just get enough power behind it...

The grating footsteps of brigs sounded from the stairway and Alice stopped thinking and just ran, leaping from the building with a burst of seijin energy, twirling midair and landing behind the gunman in a perfect crouch. The man hurried to detach his hands from the gun and face her, but was too slow. Her fist caught him across the jaw and he slumped to the ground, rolling off of the stand the gun was on. She stepped up, sliding her hand around the trigger and looking down to the men below her. _ Just don't think about what you're doing. It's a war. We can't be merciful to all of them._

The shots rang out as her finger pumped the trigger, bullets spraying down into the men from behind as her hand shook. Killing in self defence was one thing, but- her glance fell on the street beyond the courtyard for the first time. A bloodied mess that had once been Mickey lay with the blood seeping into the gutter, right on the edge of the street. He'd been so close to getting behind cover. Below her, a man peered from behind a pile of sandbags cautiously. She shot him without a second thought.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 6am : Guardian Academy<strong>

Quill enjoyed her job, all things considered. Seijin children were usually well behaved in the strict environment that the school provided. Very few were under the age of ten. Most were from wealthy, Sphere families and had parents who were already guardians. After all, it seemed that Seijin ability was to some degree hereditary. Others, those who came from families that didn't support the Sphere rule, were quieter and more withdrawn in class.

She'd been one of those children. The ones who kept quiet in class because they didn't want to be there, because they didn't want to attract attention and most of all, they wanted to go home. It had been Nathan, the head lecturer here who had introduced her to the resistance. That had certainly been an interesting teacher's meeting. Of the ten teachers at the school, four of them were in on the operation. Checkmate, it had been called, after Nathan's codename, Chess.

Kyra shook the strands of hair out of her eyes, knocking gently on the door to the girl's dormitory for Viper house. The boys and girls at the academy were divided into two houses, Viper and Panther. She was the head of the viper house, whilst Blackjack, her other accomplice took care of the boys in Panther house. The girls were waiting, as instructed. Her best students, the prefects of the house. It was terrible, she knew, to involve children like this, but the girls were technically adults even if they hadn't graduated. She nodded gently to the girls, who divided themselves so that each went into the dorm room of a different year. Slowly, children filtered out into the common room, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Some, she noticed, looked more alert than others. _No doubt the girls confided in some of the younger ones who were trustable. Smart thinking,it'll make this a lot easier._

"Girls, I'm sorry to wake you. But we are leaving the school tonight. I'm afraid that for the past few year, I have been lying to you. This will end tonight. The Sphere are not good, nor are they gracious. We do not serve a higher purpose. We are the instruments of a regime that oppresses it's people and tortures it's prisoners."

"Liar. My father is a good man." A girl, Augusta, called out. She was brazen, with a heavy set jaw and steely grey eyes.

"Yes, Augusta. But he is being lied to. He thinks he is following the right people because that is all he has ever been told."

"Prove it." _Stubborn girl. _

"Very well. But these images will upset you." Kyra crossed to the interactive whiteboard on one side of the room. The screen hummed to life as she inserted a disk into the slot in the wall. The girls fell silent as images of prisoners flashed across the screen, then files where it was clearly stated that they were to be executed without trial. A short video clip of a man in a room being interrogated had some of the girls flinching. Kyra stopped the tape. There was more, but she resented having to inflict the burden of seeing it upon these children.

"Master Nathaniel has decided that we are no longer to be allied with the Sphere."

"But they-"

"They do not control us, Augusta. We are our own people. This is a seijin matter and has been decided by the headmaster, as well as commander Oslo."

The name was almost like magic, sending ripples through the room. She could see the girls who had been less convinced, those from seijin families wavering on the edge of indecision. Even now, Oslo's word was law. The regime at the academy included a lot of brainwashing about prominent seijin leaders; the teachers were to be respected in every matter and Oslo had long been paraded as the example of what every good seijin child should grow to be like. Powerful, tactically brilliant and cunning.

Augusta nodded. "I'll come."

The girls around the room nodded, shuffled their feet or mumbled a general "Yes mistress Kyra". Satisfied, Kyra placed a finger to her lips "Remember your stealth training, all of you. We must not be discovered. Some of your teachers remain loyal to the Sphere. Trust only myself and Masters Nathaniel, Avery and Lincoln. Now come, we must go to the main entrance. The boys will meet us there."

The journey through the empty corridors was eerie and Quill felt herself jumping at every shadow that moved. Finally they were walking across the marble floor to the group of boys standing there shivering beside Lincoln. She nodded to her fellow conspirator before opening the doors and letting in a chilly blast of wind. The group ran outside, huddling together in pairs or threes for warm.

"Shouldn't he be here?"

"Don't worry, we're early."

"The children will freeze!"

A bright light blasted down from above as a ship hovered down towards the ground, extending a ramp towards the group. Kyra and lincoln ran over, pulling the ramp securely against the ground.

"Girls to the right, boys to the left" Kyra called to the children "Hurry, they'll have seen the light!" She ushered the children onto the ship, standing beside the ramp so she could count the heads as they went past. Just as the final child was jumping on, the main doors of the school blew open and Avery came running towards them

"Get on! RIGHT NOW!" He roared and she leapt onto the ramp alongside Lincoln, both of them holding a hand out to Avery as the ship began to ascend. He grabbed Lincolns hand with one of his own, until Kyra lunged over and grabbed his other shoulder, hauling him onto the ramp as shots were fired at them from below.

"How many?"

"I counted 134 girls, so all of them thank god."

"All of the boys were here, 108"

"Lucky thing there. Almost didn't make it. But I got the device in." Avery hesitated. "Who's pulling the trigger?"

Kyra held out her hand. "I'll do it." Lincoln put his hand on hers.

"We should do it together. Share the blame." He suggested and she nodded gratefully.

Together they pushed the detonator and below them, the school dissolved in a ball of fire. Kyra stood at the open hatch, watching the building that had been her prison as a child crumble and felt sorry for the teachers that had been loyal to the Sphere, but grateful that the children had proved cooperative. It would be heartbreaking to have left them there knowing it would mean their death.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 10pm : Puerto Angel<strong>

Oslo settled into Sasha's chair, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Regardless of his earlier intentions, he hadn't yet been able to look fully at the file Sasha had given him. There had been too many different battles, too many reinforcements to organise and then to top it off, the seijin children from the academy had arrived and he'd been required to make a speech to them and explain what was going to happen to them now. The elder ones, from the top class were staying on the block for now before being shipped out in the morning to the battlefield. The others would be returned to their parents, if their home was on rebel ground. The ones with parents in Sphere territory were being taken to Ningxia, to stay in the school there with Hailong Zalo on a temporary basis. It was safe ground for now and comfortable enough.

Most battles had turned out to be brief skirmishes and had been resolved within a few hours because of Sasha's meticulous planning and troop placement, so the Sphere was gradually being pushed back to it's founding blocks. They'd have to cement their foothold on their newly gained ground before attempting to remove the Sphere once and for all, but they currently held around 60% of Skyland and were fighting over another 10%. The problem they were facing now was that as the Sphere lost ground and retreated from certain areas, they used those retreating troops to reinforce the areas that they still held. So whilst the rebel forces were spread out across Skyland, the Sphere were concentrated upon a small selection of blocks and impossible to overcome. Sasha was hoping a surrender could be forced, but Oslo didn't hold much hope of that ever happening.

Flicking through the file, everything seemed pretty standard. The numbers were a puzzle, admittedly, but he was too tired to think of many possibilities. A padlock combination, perhaps? But where was the lock? The note was quite-

Oslo sat up, his feet falling off the desk as he opened the drawer of Sasha's desk, riffling through the contents.

"What are you doing?" Came a suspicious voice from the doorway. He glanced up to see the pirate captain watching him. Brigadier, that is.

"Magnifying glass, I need one quickly. Do we have Sphere files from the computers?"

"Yes. Why are you in Sasha's chair." Cortes opened a filing cabinet and held out a small glass lens "This should do it."

"Needed to talk to her; she wasn't here and this is the comfiest seat" Oslo held the picture of the note up to the light, scrutinising it carefully before becoming deadly still. "I need to go to the house of the Shannon girl."

"Can it wait?" Cortes' face had hardened at the mention of the girl's name "I'd rather not think about that girl. I knew she loved Mahad, but I never thought-"

"Did you know her well?" prompted Oslo hurriedly.

"I thought I knew her well enough. Clearly not."

"I think you did know her well enough." Cortes raised an eyebrow "I don't think she did it." Cortes raised his other eyebrow. The expression would be comical if Oslo wasn't in such a hurry.

"Take me to her house. Now."

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 10.32pm : Shannon's house<strong>

"I don't have a key-" Oslo sent a short blast of energy into the door, turning it into a thousand matchsticks. "But you make yourself at home" Cortes finished bitterly.

Oslo ignored him, switching on the light and checking behind the painting on the wall. "We're looking for a safe, or something with a combination padlock, so check behind pictures and in cupboards. I'll check upstairs you look down here."

Cortes grunted a reply and headed into the living room whilst Oslo climbed the stairs, tapping the walls to see if he could hear a hollow sound. He ignored the bathroom – why would she keep anything there? And headed straight for the house's only bedroom. The bed was messy and unmade, a dressing table full of beauty products stood to one side of the room and a cupboard in one corner. He checked the dressing table first, searching the drawers and finding nothing but plain paper and stationary in one, whilst the other held nail polishes in all the colour of the rainbow. He scoffed and shut the drawer. Such extravagance over one's appearance confused him.

The cupboard was full of clothes, but there was a shelf along the top filled with leather bound books, none of which had titles on their spine. Leaving the door open with the intention to check the books later, Oslo ducked his head under the bed, finding nothing there but dust. He'd just retrieved the first book from the shelf when Cortes's voice filtered up the stairs

"I found a safe, it was in the living room. One of those fireproof ones you put your valuables in."

"Coming." Oslo replied, bringing the book with him. If his suspicions were right, these books just might prove the girl to be innocent. Or guilty. It really depended on the contents.

The safe was off-white, dull from age, but what caught his attention most was the dotted lines that indicated that four digits needed to be input. _I knew it._

"Tell me, Brigadier, say you saw someone dangerous in the street with a hostage. What would you do?"

"Go after them to rescue the hostage." Oslo sighed and Cortes frowned.

"Yes, but what would you do first? If you had no backup and nobody else knew what had happened."

"Call for help or-" Light dawned in Cortes's eyes "Leave a message? But Shannon left the note-"

"And a four digit code." Oslo indicated the safe. "Shall we see what else she wanted to say?"

He typed in the number from crime scene and a soft whirring noise entered the air as the locking mechanism opened, the door of the small safe opening. Oslo reached in, hand closing around several papers, which he handed to cortes after a brief glance.

"Her will? I don't care what she-"

"That's not all." Oslo pulled out the small square object he'd first felt inside the safe and held it under the light. It was a mobile phone of sorts, the screen dull and blank. He tapped it and it lit up.

"There's a missed call. The caller left a voicemail." He glanced at Cortes. "I don't recognise the number, but the start of it indicates it's from a phone box."

"There's one on the block, near the hospital. It's ancient though, we mainly use radios. Shannon was from a Sphere block originally, so she must have had a phone before she came here."

Oslo nodded and dialled the number, playing the message aloud.

"_You have one new message, received at 5.50am on the 25th of December **It's shannon, I've just seen Diwan carrying a baby out of the hospital, I think she might have stolen it. She talked about killing Dahlia, she tried to once. Gave her pills. I'm going after her. This message is incase..I don't come back. Hopefully someone'll find it someday. Bye. **End of messages."_

Slowly, Oslo opened the book in his hands, a slow smile creeping over his face. "Just as I thought. Her diary."

"You shouldn't read-"

"I'm not, but look at the handwriting. Now look at the note. Very clever of Diwan, I'll admit, since most people use computers instead of handwriting anything. She must not have realised that I'd see the note. I'd recognise her handwriting anywhere. We handwrite memos at the Sphere to make it harder to forge orders."

Cortes sank into the armchair, his head sinking into his hands. "So Diwan took the baby, Shannon went after her-"

"Diwan killed her, made it look like suicide and left with the baby."

"Unlikely. Shannon said herself that Diwan wanted to kill it, she probably did throw the poor thing off the block. Still, it does my heart good to know it wasn't that poor besotted girl."

"I don't think the baby is dead, brigadier." Oslo laced his finger behind his back, smirking in a self satisfied way until Cortes looked at him impatiently. "If she really wanted to kill it, why didn't she do it at the hospital? She killed the nurse on the spot so why not the baby? After all, it'd be much better to do the deed then sneak away. Why go to the trouble of carrying the baby to the edge of the block and _then_ killing her? No, for whatever reason, Diwan changed her mind."

Cortes got to his feet, grabbing Oslo's arms in a way that made the former commander slightly uncomfortable "You're sure? You're not just giving us false hope?"

"No, Brigadier. It's very likely, given this evidence, that the baby is very much alive. There wasn't enough blood at the scene-"

Cortes was already out of the door. Oslo sighed, rubbing his neck wearily and heading after the man. No doubt now they'd have to speak to the Farrells. His joy at the prospect was unbounded.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2252 11:45pm<strong>

Mahad and Dahlia lay on the couch together before a crackling fire, neither speaking as they just gazed at the flames. Mila was sitting in one armchair, whilst George sat in the other and Lena toasted marshmallows on the fire, sitting cross legged on the rug.

"I named her Emma." Mahad whispered softly to Dahlia. "Emma Carmitt Farrell. I hope you don't mind."

"I like it" Murmured Dahlia, sniffing and rearranging herself slightly.

"Emma means whole, universal or completely and Carmitt means beautiful fighter."

"She would have been beautiful. She was so tiny." Dahlia stopped herself before she started crying again.

There was a pounding at the door, soon followed by a wild eyed Cortes bursting through triumphantly.

"Aha! Good, you're all here. The lieutenant has something to say to you all, so listen up." Oslo stepped forwards from behind the pirate, crossing to stand before the fire. He tried valiantly to ignore how Lena scurried away from him as he approached, standing warily near her mother as if expecting him to eat her.

"Aran, this really isn't-"

"Mila, please shut up." The pirate leader stated in a level voice with a smile, before nodding to Oslo.

"Well..As you may or may not be aware I was assigned to look into the events of this morning and I have discovered something. Something- Oh, well, I may as well explain later. The news is that we believe your daughter is alive."

Dahlia sat bolt upright "Emma?"

"Yes, the baby is alive and it wasn't Shannon who took her. That's...the bad news. It was Diwan who took her. By now, she's probably got her hidden in the heart of the Sphere blocks under maximum protection."

Mahad laughed in pure exhilaration "You've just told me our daughter is alive, I _will _find her."

"_WE_ will find her" corrected Dahlia, taking his hand.

"I suppose we'll tag along as well." George added, grinning whilst Mila stood up and regarded Oslo with thoughtful eyes.

"I'd like to talk to you outside." She indicated the kitchen, leaving her family to their celebrations. Dahlia had run to telephone Wayan, her bare feet pattering against the floor.

"If this is a warning to stay away from your children, then please don't bother I have no-"

"It was me taking the opportunity to say that whoever she is, I'm glad you met her." Oslo's face went blank.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Mila chuckled and leant against the countertop. "I recognise the behaviour. The same as mine was all those years ago when I met Marcus. The realisation that maybe, what the Sphere taught us wasn't right. We were taught to look down on non-seijins with disgust and I see you still doing it, but then you try to stop. You _try_ to be nice to them, Oslo. What I'm wondering is, for _whom_?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" _She reads me like a book. Even after all these years. She always was too observant. Always watchig people._

His old friend chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever you say Oslo. I'm just glad that after 18 years I might be able to get my childhood friend back."

"I thought 'we chose different paths'"

"And now we are on the same path. It just took you a while longer to see sense than it did for me."

Oslo snorted. "Whatever you say Mila. I was always under the impression that you were friends with me as a child through pity."

"Really? You were top of your class in everything, adored and equally feared by the others, loved by your teachers. I was the shy orphan child with no riches to brag about. I'd always thought that you'd took pity on me." She chuckled, "But I won't keep you. I can see you're itching to leave."

"Don't you feel...uncomfortable?"

"You kept me in captivity for over half a year, Oslo. Honestly? Yes, I'm a little uncomfortable. But I would be the worst type of hypocrite to say that you couldn't change. I changed when I met Marcus. You've changed too. Right now, I'm not sure if I've forgiven you. I'm not sure if I can. But I think I can trust you. Tonight has gone a long way to proving that."

She nodded absently and left the room. Oslo saw himself out of the house, trudging down the street towards the house Sasha had told him she was staying in. He told himself that it was just to inform her of the new developments, but really he just wanted to see her badly. After all, it was Christmas.

* * *

><p><strong>AN okay, So this chapter is SHORT Compared to the last two and I know I haven't updated in a while, but lately you guys have been asking when the next instalment will be out, so I thought I'd post this just to stop you all worrying. Writers block has been keeping me down, but hopefully that'll be gone now. Review, let me know what you think.**


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